Reconstruction of steady state in cell-free systems. Interactions between glycolysis and mitochondrial metabolism: regulation of the redox and phosphorylation states

Mitochondrial lactate metabolism: history and implications for exercise and disease

Mitochondrial structures were probably observed microscopically in the 1840s, but the idea of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) within mitochondria did not appear until the 1930s. The foundation for research into energetics arose from Meyerhof's experiments on oxidation of lactate in isolated muscles recovering from electrical contractions in an O2 atmosphere. Today, we know that mitochondria are actually reticula and that the energy released from electron pairs being passed along the electron transport chain from NADH to O2 generates a membrane potential and pH gradient of protons that can enter the molecular machine of ATP synthase to resynthesize ATP. Lactate stands at the crossroads of glycolytic and oxidative energy metabolism. Based on reported research and our own modelling in silico, we contend that lactate is not directly oxidized in the mitochondrial matrix. Instead, the interim glycolytic products (pyruvate and NADH) are held in cytosolic equilibrium with the products of the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) reaction and the intermediates of the malate-aspartate and glycerol 3-phosphate shuttles. This equilibrium supplies the glycolytic products to the mitochondrial matrix for OXPHOS. LDH in the mitochondrial matrix is not compatible with the cytoplasmic/matrix redox gradient; its presence would drain matrix reducing power and substantially dissipate the proton motive force. OXPHOS requires O2 as the final electron acceptor, but O2 supply is sufficient in most situations, including exercise and often acute illness. Recent studies suggest that atmospheric normoxia may constitute a cellular hyperoxia in mitochondrial disease. As research proceeds appropriate oxygenation levels should be carefully considered.

Skeletal muscle energetics with PNMR: personal views and historic perspectives

This article reviews historical and current NMR approaches to describing in vivo bioenergetics of skeletal muscles in normal and diseased populations. It draws upon the first author's more than 70 years of personal experience in enzyme kinetics and the last author's physiological approaches. The development of in vivo PNMR jointly with researchers around the world is described. It is explained how non-invasive PNMR has advanced human exercise biochemistry, physiology and pathology. Further, after a brief explanation of bioenergetics with PNMR on creatine kinase, anerobic glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, some basic and controversial subjects are focused upon, and the authors' view of the subjects are offered, with questions and answers. Some of the research has been introduced in exercise physiology. Future directions of NMR on bioenergetics, as a part of system biological approaches, are indicated.

Humanin detected in skeletal muscles of MELAS patients: a possible new therapeutic agent

Humanin (HN) was originally identified as an endogenous peptide that protects neuronal cells from apoptosis induced by various types of Alzheimer's disease-related insults. We have previously indicated that HN increases cellular ATP levels and speculated that this peptide may rescue energy-deficient cells in mitochondrial disorders. Here, we report, for the first time, increased HN expression in skeletal muscles from patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). HN was strongly positive in all ragged-red fibers (RRFs) and some non-RRFs, and most of them were type 1 fibers generally requiring higher energy than type 2 fibers. HN in these fibers was localized in mitochondria. HN expression was also increased in small arteries that strongly reacted for succinate dehydrogenase. Our experiments on muscular TE671 cells indicated the possibility that synthesized HN increases cellular ATP levels by directly acting on mitochondria. From these in vivo and in vitro findings, we propose that HN expression might be induced in response to the energy crisis within affected fibers and vessels in MELAS muscles and further be a possible therapeutic candidate for MELAS.

Control of reversible intracellular transfer of reducing potential

Isolated rat liver mitochondria were incubated in the presence of a reconstituted malate-aspartate shuttle under carboxylating conditions in the presence of glutamate, octanoyl-carnitine and pyruvate, or a preset lactate/pyruvate ratio. The respiration and attendant energy state were varied with soluble F1-ATPase. Under these conditions reducing equivalents are exported due to pyruvate carboxylation. This was shown by lactate production from pyruvate and by a substantial increase in the lactate/pyruvate ratio. This led to a competition between malate export and energy-driven malate cycling via the malate-aspartate shuttle, resulting in a lowered redox segregation of the NAD systems between the mitochondrial and extramitochondrial spaces. If pyruvate carboxylation was blocked, this egress of reducing equivalents was also blocked, leading to an elevated value of redox segregation, delta G(redox) (in kJ) = -5.7 log(NAD+/NADHout)/(NAD+/NADHin) being then equal to approximately one-half of the membrane potential, in accordance with electrogenic glutamate/aspartate exchange. Reconstitution of malate-pyruvate cycling led to a further kinetic decrease in the original malate-aspartate shuttle-driven value of delta G(redox). Therefore, the value of segregation of reducing potential between mitochondria and cytosol caused by glutamate/aspartate exchange can be diminished kinetically by processes exporting reducing equivalents from mitochondria, such as pyruvate carboxylation and pyruvate cycling.

Possible mechanisms of the anaerobic threshold. A review

The anaerobic threshold consists of a lactate threshold and a ventilatory threshold. In some conditions there may actually be 2 ventilatory thresholds. Much of the work detailing the lactate threshold is strongly based on blood lactate concentration. Since, in most cases, blood lactate concentration does not reflect production in active skeletal muscle, inferences about the metabolic state of contracting muscle will not be valid based only on blood lactate concentration measurements. Numerous possible mechanisms may be postulated as generating a lactate threshold. However, it is very difficult to design a study to influence only one variable. One may ask, does reducing F1O2 cause an earlier occurrence of a lactate threshold during progressive exercise by reducing oxygen availability at the mitochondria? By stimulating catecholamine production? By shifting more blood flow away from tissues which remove lactate from the blood? Or by some other mechanism? Processes considered essential to the generation of a lactate threshold include: (a) substrate utilisation in which the ability of contracting muscle cells to oxidise fats reaches maximal power at lactate threshold; and (b) catecholaminergic stimulation, for without the presence of catecholamines it appears a lactate threshold cannot be generated. Other mechanisms discussed which probably enhance the lactate threshold, but are not considered essential initiators are: (a) oxygen limitation; (b) motor unit recruitment order; (c) lactate removal; (d) muscle temperature receptors; (e) metabolic stimulation; and (f) a threshold of lactate efflux. Some mechanisms reviewed which may induce or contribute to a ventilatory threshold are the effects of: (a) the carotid bodies; (b) respiratory mechanics; (c) temperature; and (d) skeletal muscle receptors. It is not yet possible to determine the hierarchy of effects essential for generating a ventilatory threshold. This may indicate that the central nervous system integrates a broad range of input signals in order to generate a non-linear increase in ventilation. Evidence indicates that the occurrence of the lactate threshold and the ventilatory threshold may be dissociated; sometimes the occurrence of the lactate threshold significantly precedes the ventilatory threshold and at other times the ventilatory threshold significantly precedes the lactate threshold. It is concluded that the 2 thresholds are not subserved by the same mechanism.

Control of cellular redox potential as measured in a steady-state, cell-free system

A cell-free system consisting of rat liver mitochondria, liver cytosol, lactate, and the substrates intrinsic to the malate-aspartate shuttle was reconstituted for studies of steady-state substrate fluxes and, more specifically, to evaluate further the mechanism of control of the intra- and extramitochondrial steady states of the free NAD+/NADH ratios. Soluble (F1) ATPase or 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) were added in varying amounts to alter substrate fluxes and the constant energy state of this 'open' metabolizing system. The steady-state redox segregation (1.36 log NAD+/NADH ratio out vs NAD+/NADH in the mitochondrial matrix) was maximally about 3 kcal, and declined together with the membrane potential (delta psi) and log ATP/ADP, which obtain on imposing an increasing energy load on the system. It is concluded that transmembrane movement of reducing equivalents is coupled to electron transfer through delta psi, mediated by the electrogenic exchange of glutamate and aspartate. When delta psi was high (near State 4), delta G redox was approximately the same as that generated without flux of reducing equivalents [E. J. Davis, J. Bremer, and K. E. Akerman (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 2277-2283], suggesting that delta Gredox is in near thermodynamic equilibrium with delta psi. If the steady-state ATP/ADP ratio was altered with an energy load (F1-ATPase), delta Gredox decreased more steeply than delta psi (tetraphenyl phosphonium-sensitive electrode used to measure delta psi). At comparable ranges of ATP/ADP, both delta Gredox and delta psi decreased more steeply with uncoupler than with an external ADP-regenerating system.

Rate control of phosphorylation-coupled respiration by rat liver mitochondria

Liver mitochondria provided with an oxidizable substrate, ATP, oxygen, and an ADP-generating system (soluble F1-ATPase) were used to reevaluate the rate-controlling step(s) intrinsic to all of the processes of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The quantity termed "control strength" (C), previously defined as the fractional change in flux through a (system) induced by a fractional change in the concentration of an individual enzyme in the system, has been used to evaluate rate-influencing steps in this overall process by carefully defining the dimensions of the "system" under analysis. If the system is defined by a suspension of mitochondria provided with substrates, plus an extrinsic ADP-generating process (ATPase), the value of C of the latter for the overall process of phosphorylation-linked respiration is near 1.0 until the capacity of the mitochondria to phosphorylate ADP is approached, after which C for the soluble ATPase becomes zero as the maximum capacity for phosphorylation is attained. Carboxyatractyloside was found only marginally to inhibit respiration stimulated by ATPase, even when a large percentage of adenine nucleotide translocase molecules were immobilized. The relative lack of effect of carboxyatractyloside on phosphorylating respiration is explained by the readjustment of the concentration of one of the substrates (ADP) and an inhibitor (ATP), which results from inhibition of adenine nucleotide translocase. The residual blunted inhibition of respiration is explained by product inhibition of the ADP-regenerating ATPase, and not necessarily to any intrinsically mitochondrial intermediate process. The system being evaluated can be redefined to include only the processes intrinsic to mitochondria. This can be achieved by providing exactly comparable substrate concentrations to the mitochondria under comparable incubation conditions. Under these conditions, the adenine nucleotide translocase is the principal, if not the only, rate-controlling step in the overall process of oxidative phosphorylation until a new rate-limitation is attained (ATP synthesis). These data are consistent with the conclusion that, at intermediate rates of phosphorylation-coupled respiration, the extramitochondrial ATP/ADP ratio regulates this process through its kinetic effects on the catalytic properties of the adenine nucleotide translocase.