Three conserved histidine residues contribute to mitochondrial iron transport through mitoferrins

Mitochondrial iron deficiency mediated inhibition of ecdysone synthesis underlies lead (Pb) induced developmental toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster

Lead (Pb) is a pervasive heavy metal possessing developmental toxicity, at least in part, by disrupting iron homeostasis. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of iron deficiency mediated developmental defects in Pb exposed Drosophila melanogaster, mainly focusing on iron-dependent synthesis of ecdysone signaling, which plays a key role in the development of insects. Herein, we found Pb exposure resulted in iron deficiency in mitochondria by inhibiting expression of mitoferrin (evidenced by qPCR assay), the mitochondrial iron importer. Further study demonstrated that biosynthesis of ecdysone, a hormone synthesized with the help of iron-containing cytochrome P450s in mitochondria, was inhibited following Pb exposure. Ecdysone supplementation, to some extent, rescued Pb induced developmental delay and reproductive defects in Drosophila melanogaster. Furthermore, we found that disruption of mitoferrin and ecdysone synthesis was restored by NAC (N-Acetylcysteine, a well-known ROS scavenger), suggesting that oxidative stress plays a key role in Pb mediated mitochondrial iron dys-homeostasis and developmental toxicity. This study therefore revealed that mitochondrial iron deficiency mediated inhibition of ecdysone synthesis is a key event associated with iron dys-homeostasis mediated developmental defects caused by Pb exposure. Meanwhile, our study indicated that mitochondria may act as an important target of Pb, thus providing potential protective strategies against Pb toxicity.

Iron transport pathways in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum revealed by RNA-sequencing

Host iron deficiency is protective against severe malaria as the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum depends on bioavailable iron from its host to proliferate. The essential pathways of iron acquisition, storage, export, and detoxification in the parasite differ from those in humans, as orthologs of the mammalian transferrin receptor, ferritin, or ferroportin, and a functional heme oxygenase are absent in P. falciparum. Thus, the proteins involved in these processes may be excellent targets for therapeutic development, yet remain largely unknown. Here, we show that parasites cultured in erythrocytes from an iron-deficient donor displayed significantly reduced growth rates compared to those grown in red blood cells from healthy controls. Sequencing of parasite RNA revealed diminished expression of genes involved in overall metabolism, hemoglobin digestion, and metabolite transport under low-iron versus control conditions. Supplementation with hepcidin, a specific ferroportin inhibitor, resulted in increased labile iron levels in erythrocytes, enhanced parasite replication, and transcriptional upregulation of genes responsible for merozoite motility and host cell invasion. Through endogenous GFP tagging of differentially expressed putative transporter genes followed by confocal live-cell imaging, proliferation assays with knockout and knockdown lines, and protein structure predictions, we identified six proteins that are likely required for ferrous iron transport in P. falciparum. Of these, we localized PfVIT and PfZIPCO to cytoplasmic vesicles, PfMRS3 to the mitochondrion, and the novel putative iron transporter PfE140 to the plasma membrane for the first time in P. falciparum. PfNRAMP/PfDMT1 and PfCRT were previously reported to efflux Fe2+ from the digestive vacuole. Our data support a new model for parasite iron homeostasis, in which PfE140 is involved in iron uptake across the plasma membrane, PfMRS3 ensures non-redundant Fe2+ supply to the mitochondrion as the main site of iron utilization, PfVIT transports excess iron into cytoplasmic vesicles, and PfZIPCO exports Fe2+ from these organelles in case of iron scarcity. These results provide new insights into the parasite's response to differential iron availability in its environment and into the mechanisms of iron transport in P. falciparum as promising candidate targets for future antimalarial drugs.

Metal Uptake by Mitochondrial Carrier Family Proteins Using Lactococcus lactis

Metal ion homeostasis in mitochondria is essential to maintaining proper cellular physiology. However, the ability of metals to bind off target or form complexes with multiple metabolites presents major challenges to understanding the mechanisms that govern this homeostasis. Adding further to the complexity, some of the major mitochondrial transporters have shown substrate promiscuity. In many cases, mitochondrial metals are found in the matrix compartment that is surrounded by the impermeable inner membrane. Four major classes of transporters facilitate the movement of solute across the inner membrane. These are mitochondrial carrier family, ATP-binding cassette transporters, mitochondrial pyruvate carriers, and sideroflexins. For iron, the matrix is the site of iron-sulfur clusters and heme synthesis and therefore transport must occur in a coordinated fashion with the cellular needs for these critical cofactors. Iron could be transported in numerous forms as it has been shown to form complexes with abundant metabolites such as citrate, nucleotides, or glutathione. Here, we describe assays to study iron (or any metal) transport by mitochondrial carrier family proteins expressed in Lactococcus lactis using a nisin-controlled expression system.

Membrane Transporters Involved in Iron Trafficking: Physiological and Pathological Aspects

Iron is an essential transition metal for its involvement in several crucial biological functions, the most notable being oxygen storage and transport. Due to its high reactivity and potential toxicity, intracellular and extracellular iron levels must be tightly regulated. This is achieved through transport systems that mediate cellular uptake and efflux both at the level of the plasma membrane and on the membranes of lysosomes, endosomes and mitochondria. Among these transport systems, the key players are ferroportin, the only known transporter mediating iron efflux from cells; DMT1, ZIP8 and ZIP14, which on the contrary, mediate iron influx into the cytoplasm, acting on the plasma membrane and on the membranes of lysosomes and endosomes; and mitoferrin, involved in iron transport into the mitochondria for heme synthesis and Fe-S cluster assembly. The focus of this review is to provide an updated view of the physiological role of these membrane proteins and of the pathologies that arise from defects of these transport systems.

Identification and Functional Analysis of Two Mitoferrins, CsMIT1 and CsMIT2, Participating in Iron Homeostasis in Cucumber

Mitochondria are one of the major iron sinks in plant cells. Mitochondrial iron accumulation involves the action of ferric reductase oxidases (FRO) and carriers located in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It has been suggested that among these transporters, mitoferrins (mitochondrial iron transporters, MITs) belonging to the mitochondrial carrier family (MCF) function as mitochondrial iron importers. In this study, two cucumber proteins, CsMIT1 and CsMIT2, with high homology to Arabidopsis, rice and yeast MITs were identified and characterized. CsMIT1 and CsMIT2 were expressed in all organs of the two-week-old seedlings. Under Fe-limited conditions as well as Fe excess, the mRNA levels of CsMIT1 and CsMIT2 were altered, suggesting their regulation by iron availability. Analyses using Arabidopsis protoplasts confirmed the mitochondrial localization of cucumber mitoferrins. Expression of CsMIT1 and CsMIT2 restored the growth of the Δmrs3Δmrs4 mutant (defective in mitochondrial Fe transport), but not in mutants sensitive to other heavy metals. Moreover, the altered cytosolic and mitochondrial Fe concentrations, observed in the Δmrs3Δmrs4 strain, were recovered almost to the levels of WT yeast by expressing CsMIT1 or CsMIT2. These results indicate that cucumber proteins are involved in the iron transport from the cytoplasm to the mitochondria.

Mitoferrin, Cellular and Mitochondrial Iron Homeostasis

Iron is essential for many cellular processes, but cellular iron homeostasis must be maintained to ensure the balance of cellular signaling processes and prevent disease. Iron transport in and out of the cell and cellular organelles is crucial in this regard. The transport of iron into the mitochondria is particularly important, as heme and the majority of iron-sulfur clusters are synthesized in this organelle. Iron is also required for the production of mitochondrial complexes that contain these iron-sulfur clusters and heme. As the principal iron importers in the mitochondria of human cells, the mitoferrins have emerged as critical regulators of cytosolic and mitochondrial iron homeostasis. Here, we review the discovery and structure of the mitoferrins, as well as the significance of these proteins in maintaining cytosolic and mitochondrial iron homeostasis for the prevention of cancer and many other diseases.

Mitochondrial copper and phosphate transporter specificity was defined early in the evolution of eukaryotes

The mitochondrial carrier family protein SLC25A3 transports both copper and phosphate in mammals, yet in Saccharomyces cerevisiae the transport of these substrates is partitioned across two paralogs: PIC2 and MIR1. To understand the ancestral state of copper and phosphate transport in mitochondria, we explored the evolutionary relationships of PIC2 and MIR1 orthologs across the eukaryotic tree of life. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that PIC2-like and MIR1-like orthologs are present in all major eukaryotic supergroups, indicating an ancient gene duplication created these paralogs. To link this phylogenetic signal to protein function, we used structural modeling and site-directed mutagenesis to identify residues involved in copper and phosphate transport. Based on these analyses, we generated an L175A variant of mouse SLC25A3 that retains the ability to transport copper but not phosphate. This work highlights the utility of using an evolutionary framework to uncover amino acids involved in substrate recognition by mitochondrial carrier family proteins.

Getting out what you put in: Copper in mitochondria and its impacts on human disease

Mitochondria accumulate copper in their matrix for the eventual maturation of the cuproenzymes cytochrome c oxidase and superoxide dismutase. Transport into the matrix is achieved by mitochondrial carrier family (MCF) proteins. The major copper transporting MCF described to date in yeast is Pic2, which imports the metal ion into the matrix. Pic2 is one of ~30 MCFs that move numerous metabolites, nucleotides and co-factors across the inner membrane for use in the matrix. Genetic and biochemical experiments showed that Pic2 is required for cytochrome c oxidase activity under copper stress, and that it is capable of transporting ionic and complexed forms of copper. The Pic2 ortholog SLC25A3, one of 53 mammalian MCFs, functions as both a copper and a phosphate transporter. Depletion of SLC25A3 results in decreased accumulation of copper in the matrix, a cytochrome c oxidase defect and a modulation of cytosolic superoxide dismutase abundance. The regulatory roles for copper and cuproproteins resident to the mitochondrion continue to expand beyond the organelle. Mitochondrial copper chaperones have been linked to the modulation of cellular copper uptake and export and the facilitation of inter-organ communication. Recently, a role for matrix copper has also been proposed in a novel cell death pathway termed cuproptosis. This review will detail our understanding of the maturation of mitochondrial copper enzymes, the roles of mitochondrial signals in regulating cellular copper content, the proposed mechanisms of copper transport into the organelle and explore the evolutionary origins of copper homeostasis pathways.

Metabolic Roles of Plant Mitochondrial Carriers

Mitochondrial carriers (MC) are a large family (MCF) of inner membrane transporters displaying diverse, yet often redundant, substrate specificities, as well as differing spatio-temporal patterns of expression; there are even increasing examples of non-mitochondrial subcellular localization. The number of these six trans-membrane domain proteins in sequenced plant genomes ranges from 39 to 141, rendering the size of plant families larger than that found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and comparable with Homo sapiens. Indeed, comparison of plant MCs with those from these better characterized species has been highly informative. Here, we review the most recent comprehensive studies of plant MCFs, incorporating the torrent of genomic data emanating from next-generation sequencing techniques. As such we present a more current prediction of the substrate specificities of these carriers as well as review the continuing quest to biochemically characterize this feature of the carriers. Taken together, these data provide an important resource to guide direct genetic studies aimed at addressing the relevance of these vital carrier proteins.

Adaptive iron utilization compensates for the lack of an inducible uptake system in Naegleria fowleri and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention

Naegleria fowleri is a single-cell organism living in warm freshwater that can become a deadly human pathogen known as a brain-eating amoeba. The condition caused by N. fowleri, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, is usually a fatal infection of the brain with rapid and severe onset. Iron is a common element on earth and a crucial cofactor for all living organisms. However, its bioavailable form can be scarce in certain niches, where it becomes a factor that limits growth. To obtain iron, many pathogens use different machineries to exploit an iron-withholding strategy that has evolved in mammals and is important to host-parasite interactions. The present study demonstrates the importance of iron in the biology of N. fowleri and explores the plausibility of exploiting iron as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. We used different biochemical and analytical methods to explore the effect of decreased iron availability on the cellular processes of the amoeba. We show that, under iron starvation, nonessential, iron-dependent, mostly cytosolic pathways in N. fowleri are downregulated, while the metal is utilized in the mitochondria to maintain vital respiratory processes. Surprisingly, N. fowleri fails to respond to acute shortages of iron by inducing the reductive iron uptake system that seems to be the main iron-obtaining strategy of the parasite. Our findings suggest that iron restriction may be used to slow the progression of infection, which may make the difference between life and death for patients.

Splitting the functions of Rim2, a mitochondrial iron/pyrimidine carrier

Rim2 is an unusual mitochondrial carrier protein capable of transporting both iron and pyrimidine nucleotides. Here we characterize two point mutations generated in the predicted substrate-binding site, finding that they yield disparate effects on iron and pyrimidine transport. The Rim2 (E248A) mutant was deficient in mitochondrial iron transport activity. By contrast, the Rim2 (K299A) mutant specifically abrogated pyrimidine nucleotide transport and exchange, while leaving iron transport activity largely unaffected. Strikingly, E248A preserved TTP/TTP homoexchange but interfered with TTP/TMP heteroexchange, perhaps because proton coupling was dependent on the E248 acidic residue. Rim2-dependent iron transport was unaffected by pyrimidine nucleotides. Rim2-dependent pyrimidine transport was competed by Zn²⁺ but not by Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺ or Cu²⁺. The iron and pyrimidine nucleotide transport processes displayed different salt requirements; pyrimidine transport was dependent on the salt content of the buffer whereas iron transport was salt independent. In mitochondria containing Rim2 (E248A), iron proteins were decreased, including aconitase (Fe-S), pyruvate dehydrogenase (lipoic acid containing) and cytochrome c (heme protein). Additionally, the rate of Fe-S cluster synthesis in isolated and intact mitochondria was decreased compared with the K299A mutant, consistent with the impairment of iron-dependent functions in that mutant. In summary, mitochondrial iron transport and pyrimidine transport by Rim2 occur separately and independently. Rim2 could be a bifunctional carrier protein.

Mitochondrial Iron Transporters (MIT1 and MIT2) Are Essential for Iron Homeostasis and Embryogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Iron (Fe) is an essential nutrient for virtually all organisms, where it functions in critical electron transfer processes, like those involved in respiration. Photosynthetic organisms have special requirements for Fe due to its importance in photosynthesis. While the importance of Fe for mitochondria- and chloroplast-localized processes is clear, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the trafficking of Fe to these compartments is not complete. Here, we describe the Arabidopsis mitochondrial iron transporters, MIT1 and MIT2, that belong to the mitochondrial carrier family (MCF) of transport proteins. MIT1 and MIT2 display considerable homology with known mitochondrial Fe transporters of other organisms. Expression of MIT1 or MIT2 rescues the phenotype of the yeast mrs3mrs4 mutant, which is defective in mitochondrial iron transport. Although the Arabidopsis mit1 and mit2 single mutants do not show any significant visible phenotypes, the double mutant mit1mit2 displays embryo lethality. Analysis of a mit1 ^-- /mit2 ^{+ -} line revealed that MIT1 and MIT2 are essential for iron acquisition by mitochondria and proper mitochondrial function. In addition, loss of MIT function results in mislocalization of Fe, which in turn causes upregulation of the root high affinity Fe uptake pathway. Thus, MIT1 and MIT2 are required for the maintenance of both mitochondrial and whole plant Fe homeostasis, which, in turn, is important for the proper growth and development of the plant.

Drosophila melanogaster Models of Friedreich's Ataxia

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a rare inherited recessive disorder affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems and other extraneural organs such as the heart and pancreas. This incapacitating condition usually manifests in childhood or adolescence, exhibits an irreversible progression that confines the patient to a wheelchair, and leads to early death. FRDA is caused by a reduced level of the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein frataxin due to an abnormal GAA triplet repeat expansion in the first intron of the human FXN gene. FXN is evolutionarily conserved, with orthologs in essentially all eukaryotes and some prokaryotes, leading to the development of experimental models of this disease in different organisms. These FRDA models have contributed substantially to our current knowledge of frataxin function and the pathogenesis of the disease, as well as to explorations of suitable treatments. Drosophila melanogaster, an organism that is easy to manipulate genetically, has also become important in FRDA research. This review describes the substantial contribution of Drosophila to FRDA research since the characterization of the fly frataxin ortholog more than 15 years ago. Fly models have provided a comprehensive characterization of the defects associated with frataxin deficiency and have revealed genetic modifiers of disease phenotypes. In addition, these models are now being used in the search for potential therapeutic compounds for the treatment of this severe and still incurable disease.

Recovery of mrs3Δmrs4Δ Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cells under Iron-Sufficient Conditions and the Role of Fe580

Mrs3 and Mrs4 are mitochondrial inner membrane proteins that deliver an unidentified cytosolic iron species into the matrix for use in iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) and heme biosynthesis. The Mrs3/4 double-deletion strain (ΔΔ) grew slowly in iron-deficient glycerol/ethanol medium but recovered to wild-type (WT) rates in iron-sufficient medium. ΔΔ cells grown under both iron-deficient and iron-sufficient respiring conditions acquired large amounts of iron relative to WT cells, indicating iron homeostatic dysregulation regardless of nutrient iron status. Biophysical spectroscopy (including Mössbauer, electron paramagnetic resonance, and electronic absorption) and bioanalytical methods (liquid chromatography with online inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection) were used to characterize these phenotypes. Anaerobically isolated mitochondria contained a labile iron pool composed of a nonheme high-spin FeII complex with primarily O and N donor ligands, called Fe580. Fe580 likely serves as feedstock for ISC and heme biosynthesis. Mitochondria from respiring ΔΔ cells grown under iron-deficient conditions were devoid of Fe580, ISCs, and hemes; most iron was present as FeIII nanoparticles. O2 likely penetrates the matrix of slow-growing poorly respiring iron-deficient ΔΔ cells and reacts with Fe580 to form nanoparticles, thereby inhibiting ISC and heme biosynthesis. Mitochondria from iron-sufficient ΔΔ cells contained ISCs, hemes, and Fe580 at concentrations comparable to those of WT mitochondria. The matrix of these mutant cells was probably sufficiently anaerobic to protect Fe580 from degradation by O2. An ∼1100 Da manganese complex, an ∼1200 Da zinc complex, and an ∼5000 Da copper species were also present in ΔΔ and WT mitochondrial flow-through solutions. No lower-mass copper complex was evident.

In vitro reconstitution, functional dissection, and mutational analysis of metal ion transport by mitoferrin-1

Iron is universally important to cellular metabolism, and mitoferrin-1 and -2 have been proposed to be the iron importers of mitochondria, the cell's assembly plant of heme and iron-sulfur clusters. These iron-containing prosthetic groups are critical for a host of physiological processes ranging from oxygen transport and energy consumption to maintaining protein structural integrity. Mitoferrin-1 (Mfrn1) belongs to the mitochondrial carrier (MC) family and is atypical given its putative metallic cargo; most MCs transport nucleotides, amino acids, or other small- to medium-size metabolites. Despite the clear importance of Mfrn1 in iron utilization, its transport activity has not been demonstrated unambiguously. To bridge this knowledge gap, we have purified recombinant Mfrn1 under non-denaturing conditions and probed its metal ion-binding and transport functions. Isothermal titration calorimetry indicates that Mfrn1 has micromolar affinity for Fe(II), Mn(II), Co(II), and Ni(II). Mfrn1 was incorporated into defined liposomes, and iron transport was reconstituted in vitro, demonstrating that Mfrn1 can transport iron. Mfrn1 can also transport manganese, cobalt, copper, and zinc but discriminates against nickel. Experiments with candidate ligands for cellular labile iron reveal that Mfrn1 transports free iron and not a chelated iron complex and selects against alkali divalent ions. Extensive mutagenesis identified multiple residues that are crucial for metal binding, transport activity, or both. There is a clear abundance of residues with side chains that can coordinate first-row transition metal ions, suggesting that these could form primary or auxiliary metal-binding sites during the transport process.

Overlap of copper and iron uptake systems in mitochondria in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the mitochondrial carrier family protein Pic2 imports copper into the matrix. Deletion of PIC2 causes defects in mitochondrial copper uptake and copper-dependent growth phenotypes owing to decreased cytochrome c oxidase activity. However, copper import is not completely eliminated in this mutant, so alternative transport systems must exist. Deletion of MRS3, a component of the iron import machinery, also causes a copper-dependent growth defect on non-fermentable carbon. Deletion of both PIC2 and MRS3 led to a more severe respiratory growth defect than either individual mutant. In addition, MRS3 expressed from a high copy number vector was able to suppress the oxygen consumption and copper uptake defects of a strain lacking PIC2. When expressed in Lactococcus lactis, Mrs3 mediated copper and iron import. Finally, a PIC2 and MRS3 double mutant prevented the copper-dependent activation of a heterologously expressed copper sensor in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Taken together, these data support a role for the iron transporter Mrs3 in copper import into the mitochondrial matrix.

Labile Low-Molecular-Mass Metal Complexes in Mitochondria: Trials and Tribulations of a Burgeoning Field

Iron, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, and molybdenum play important roles in mitochondrial biochemistry, serving to help catalyze reactions in numerous metalloenzymes. These metals are also found in labile "pools" within mitochondria. Although the composition and cellular function of these pools are largely unknown, they are thought to be comprised of nonproteinaceous low-molecular-mass (LMM) metal complexes. Many problems must be solved before these pools can be fully defined, especially problems stemming from the lability of such complexes. This lability arises from inherently weak coordinate bonds between ligands and metals. This is an advantage for catalysis and trafficking, but it makes characterization difficult. The most popular strategy for investigating such pools is to detect them using chelator probes with fluorescent properties that change upon metal coordination. Characterization is limited because of the inevitable destruction of the complexes during their detection. Moreover, probes likely react with more than one type of metal complex, confusing analyses. An alternative approach is to use liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). With help from a previous lab member, the authors recently developed an LC-ICP-MS approach to analyze LMM extracts from yeast and mammalian mitochondria. They detected several metal complexes, including Fe580, Fe1100, Fe1500, Cu5000, Zn1200, Zn1500, Mn1100, Mn2000, Co1200, Co1500, and Mo780 (numbers refer to approximate masses in daltons). Many of these may be used to metalate apo-metalloproteins as they fold inside the organelle. The LC-based approach also has challenges, e.g., in distinguishing artifactual metal complexes from endogenous ones, due to the fact that cells must be disrupted to form extracts before they are passed through chromatography columns prior to analysis. Ultimately, both approaches will be needed to characterize these intriguing complexes and to elucidate their roles in mitochondrial biochemistry.

A Putative Mitochondrial Iron Transporter MrsA in Aspergillus fumigatus Plays Important Roles in Azole-, Oxidative Stress Responses and Virulence

Iron is an essential nutrient and enzyme co-factor required for a wide range of cellular processes, especially for the function of mitochondria. For the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, the ability to obtain iron is required for growth and virulence during the infection process. However, knowledge of how mitochondria are involved in iron regulation is still limited. Here, we show that a mitochondrial iron transporter, MrsA, a homolog of yeast Mrs4p, is critical for adaptation to iron-limited or iron-excess conditions in A. fumigatus. Deletion of mrsA leads to disruption of iron homeostasis with a decreased sreA expression, resulted in activated reductive iron assimilation (RIA) and siderophore-mediated iron acquisition (SIA). Furthermore, deletion of mrsA induces hypersusceptibility to azole and oxidative stresses. An assay for cellular ROS content in ΔmrsA combined with rescue from the mrsA-defective phenotype by the antioxidant reagent L-ascorbic acid indicates that the increased sensitivity of ΔmrsA to the azole itraconazole and to oxidative stress is mainly the result of abnormal ROS accumulation. Moreover, site-directed mutation experiments verified that three conserved histidine residues related to iron transport in MrsA are required for responses to oxidative and azole stresses. Importantly, ΔmrsA causes significant attenuation of virulence in an immunocompromised murine model of aspergillosis. Collectively, our results show that the putative mitochondrial iron transporter MrsA plays important roles in azole- and oxidative-stress responses and virulence by regulating the balance of cellular iron in A. fumigatus.

miR-8-3p regulates mitoferrin in the testes of Bactrocera dorsalis to ensure normal spermatogenesis

Genetics-enhanced sterile insect techniques (SIT) are promising novel approaches to control Bactrocera dorsalis, the most destructive horticultural pest in East Asia and the Pacific region. To identify novel genetic agents to alter male fertility of B. dorsalis, previous studies investigated miRNA expression in testes of B. dorsalis. One miRNA, miR-8-3p was predicted to bind the 3'UTR of putative B. dorsalis mitoferrin (bmfrn). The ortholog of bmfrn in D. melanogaster is essential for male fertility. Here we show that bmfrn has all conserved amino acid residues of known mitoferrins and is most abundantly expressed in B. dorsalis testes, making miR-8-3p and mitoferrin candidates for genetics-enhanced SIT. Furthermore, using a dual-luciferase reporter system, we show in HeLa cells that miR-8-3p interacts with the 3'UTR of bmfrn. Dietary treatments of adult male flies with miR-8-3p mimic, antagomiR, or bmfrn dsRNA, altered mitoferrin expression in the testes and resulted in reduced male reproductive capacity due to reduced numbers and viability of spermatozoa. We show for the first time that a mitoferrin is regulated by a miRNA and we demonstrate miR-8-3p as well as bmfrn dsRNA to be promising novel agents that could be used for genetics-enhanced SIT.

Mitochondrial iron supply is required for the developmental pulse of ecdysone biosynthesis that initiates metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster

Synthesis of ecdysone, the key hormone that signals the termination of larval growth and the initiation of metamorphosis in insects, is carried out in the prothoracic gland by an array of iron-containing cytochrome P450s, encoded by the halloween genes. Interference, either with iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis in the prothoracic gland or with the ferredoxins that supply electrons for steroidogenesis, causes a block in ecdysone synthesis and developmental arrest in the third instar larval stage. Here we show that mutants in Drosophila mitoferrin (dmfrn), the gene encoding a mitochondrial carrier protein implicated in mitochondrial iron import, fail to grow and initiate metamorphosis under dietary iron depletion or when ferritin function is partially compromised. In mutant dmfrn larvae reared under iron replete conditions, the expression of halloween genes is increased and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), the active form of ecdysone, is synthesized. In contrast, addition of an iron chelator to the diet of mutant dmfrn larvae disrupts 20E synthesis. Dietary addition of 20E has little effect on the growth defects, but enables approximately one-third of the iron-deprived dmfrn larvae to successfully turn into pupae and, in a smaller percentage, into adults. This partial rescue is not observed with dietary supply of ecdysone's precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol, a precursor in the ecdysone biosynthetic pathway. The findings reported here support the notion that a physiological supply of mitochondrial iron for the synthesis of iron-sulfur clusters and heme is required in the prothoracic glands of insect larvae for steroidogenesis. Furthermore, mitochondrial iron is also essential for normal larval growth.

Mitoferrin modulates iron toxicity in a Drosophila model of Friedreich's ataxia

Friedreich's ataxia is the most important recessive ataxia in the Caucasian population. Loss of frataxin expression affects the production of iron-sulfur clusters and, therefore, mitochondrial energy production. One of the pathological consequences is an increase of iron transport into the mitochondrial compartment leading to a toxic accumulation of reactive iron. However, the mechanism underlying this inappropriate mitochondrial iron accumulation is still unknown. Control and frataxin-deficient flies were fed with an iron diet in order to mimic an iron overload and used to assess various cellular as well as mitochondrial functions. We showed that frataxin-deficient flies were hypersensitive toward dietary iron and developed an iron-dependent decay of mitochondrial functions. In the fly model exhibiting only partial frataxin loss, we demonstrated that the inability to activate ferritin translation and the enhancement of mitochondrial iron uptake via mitoferrin upregulation were likely the key molecular events behind the iron-induced phenotype. Both defects were observed during the normal process of aging, confirming their importance in the progression of the pathology. In an effort to further assess the importance of these mechanisms, we carried out genetic interaction studies. We showed that mitoferrin downregulation improved many of the frataxin-deficient conditions, including nervous system degeneration, whereas mitoferrin overexpression exacerbated most of them. Taken together, this study demonstrates the crucial role of mitoferrin dysfunction in the etiology of Friedreich's ataxia and provides evidence that impairment of mitochondrial iron transport could be an effective treatment of the disease.