Pethidine analogues, a novel class of potent inhibitors of mitochondrial NADH: ubiquinone reductase

The role of mitochondria in pharmacotoxicology: a reevaluation of an old, newly emerging topic

In addition to their well-known critical role in energy metabolism, mitochondria are now recognized as the location where various catabolic and anabolic processes, calcium fluxes, various oxygen-nitrogen reactive species, and other signal transduction pathways interact to maintain cell homeostasis and to mediate cellular responses to different stimuli. It is important to consider how pharmacological agents affect mitochondrial biochemistry, not only because of toxicological concerns but also because of potential therapeutic applications. Several potential targets could be envisaged at the mitochondrial level that may underlie the toxic effects of some drugs. Recently, antiviral nucleoside analogs have displayed mitochondrial toxicity through the inhibition of DNA polymerase-γ (pol-γ). Other drugs that target different components of mitochondrial channels can disrupt ion homeostasis or interfere with the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Many known inhibitors of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain act by interfering with one or more of the respiratory chain complexes. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), for example, may behave as oxidative phosphorylation uncouplers. The mitochondrial toxicity of other drugs seems to depend on free radical production, although the mechanisms have not yet been clarified. Meanwhile, drugs targeting mitochondria have been used to treat mitochondrial dysfunctions. Importantly, drugs that target the mitochondria of cancer cells have been developed recently; such drugs can trigger apoptosis or necrosis of the cancer cells. Thus the aim of this review is to highlight the role of mitochondria in pharmacotoxicology, and to describe whenever possible the main molecular mechanisms underlying unwanted and/or therapeutic effects.

Inhibitors of NADH-ubiquinone reductase: an overview

This article provides an updated overview of the plethora of complex I inhibitors. The inhibitors are presented within the broad categories of natural and commercial compounds and their potency is related to that of rotenone, the classical inhibitor of complex I. Among commercial products, particular attention is dedicated to inhibitors of pharmacological or toxicological relevance. The compounds that inhibit the NADH-ubiquinone reductase activity of complex I are classified according to three fundamental types of action on the basis of available evidence and recent insights: type A are antagonists of the ubiquinone substrate, type B displace the ubisemiquinone intermediate, and type C are antagonists of the ubiquinol product.

Identification of the TYKY homologous subunit of complex I from Neurospora crassa

A polypeptide subunit of complex I from Neurospora crassa, homologous to bovine TYKY, was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and used for the production of rabbit antiserum. The mature mitochondrial protein displays a molecular mass of 21280 Da and results from cleavage of a presequence consisting of the first 34 N-terminal amino acids of the precursor. This protein was found closely associated with the peripheral arm of complex I.

Sites and mechanisms responsible for the low rate of free radical production of heart mitochondria in the long-lived pigeon

Basal (substrate alone) and maximum rates of H2O2 production, oxygen consumption and free radical leak in the respiratory chain were higher in heart mitochondria of the short-lived rat (4 years) than in the long-lived pigeon (35 years). This suggests that the low free radical production of pigeon heart mitochondria is due in part to both a low electron flow and a low percent leak of electrons out of sequence in the respiratory chain. Thenoyltrifluoroacetone did not increase H2O2 production with succinate either in rats or pigeons. Mitochondrial H2O2 production was higher with pyruvate/malate than with succinate in both animal species. Rotenone and antimycin A increased H2O2 production with pyruvate/malate to the maximum levels observed in each species. Addition of myxothiazol to antimycin A-treated mitochondria supplemented with pyruvate/malate decreased H2O2 production in both species. All the combinations of inhibitors added with pyruvate/malate resulted in higher rates of H2O2 production in rats than in pigeons. When succinate instead of pyruvate/malate was used as substrate, rotenone and thenoyltrifluoroacetone decreased mitochondrial H2O2 production in the rat and did not change it in the pigeon. The results indicate that Complexes I and III are the main H2O2 generators of heart mitochondria in rats and pigeons and that both Complexes are responsible for the low H2O2 production of the bird. p-Chloromercuribenzoate and ethoxyformic anhydride strongly inhibited the H2O2 production induced by rotenone with pyruvate/malate in both species. This suggests that the free radical generator of Complex I is located after the ferricyanide reduction site, between the ethoxyformic and the rotenone-sensitive sites.

Disruption of the nuclear gene encoding the 20.8-kDa subunit of NADH: ubiquinone reductase of Neurospora mitochondria

The nuclear gene coding for the 20.8-kDa subunit of the membrane arm of respiratory chain NADH: ubiquinone reductase (Complex I) from Neurospora crassa, nuo-20.8, was localized on linkage group I of the fungal genome. A genomic DNA fragment containing this gene was cloned and a duplication was created in a strain of N. crassa by transformation. To generate RIP (repeat-induced point) mutations in the duplicated sequence, the transformant was crossed with another strain carrying an auxotrophic marker on chromosome I. To increase the chance of finding an isolate with a non-functional nuo-20.8 gene, random progeny from the cross were selected against this auxotrophy since RIP of the target gene will only occur in the nucleus carrying the duplication. Among these, we isolated and characterised a mutant strain that lacks the 20.8 kDa mitochondrial protein, indicating that this cysteine-rich polypeptide is not essential. Nevertheless, the absence of the 20.8-kDa subunit prevents the full assembly of complex I. It appears that the peripheral arm and two intermediates of the membrane arm of the enzyme are still formed in the mutant mitochondria. The NADH: ubiquinone reductase activity of sonicated mitochondria from the mutant is rotenone insensitive. Electron microscopy of mutant mitochondria does not reveal any alteration in the structure or numbers of the organelles.

[3H]dihydrorotenone binding to NADH: ubiquinone reductase (complex I) of the electron transport chain: an autoradiographic study

Abnormalities of mitochondrial energy metabolism may play a role in normal aging and certain neurodegenerative disorders. In this regard, complex I of the electron transport chain has received substantial attention, especially in Parkinson's disease. The conventional method for studying complex I has been quantitation of enzyme activity in homogenized tissue samples. To enhance the anatomic precision with which complex I can be examined, we developed an autoradiographic assay for the rotenone site of this enzyme. [3H]dihydrorotenone ([3H]DHR) binding is saturable (KD = 15-55 nM) and specific, and Hill slopes of 1 suggest a single population of binding sites. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) enhances binding 4- to 80-fold in different brain regions (EC50 = 20-40 microM) by increasing the density of recognition sites (Bmax). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate also increases binding, but NAD+ does not. In skeletal muscle, heart, and kidney, binding was less affected by NADH. [3H]DHR binding is inhibited by rotenone (IC50 = 8-20 nM), meperidine (IC50 = 34-57 microM), amobarbitol (IC50 = 375-425 microM), and MPP+ (IC50 = 4-5 mM), consistent with the potencies of these compounds in inhibiting complex I activity. Binding is heterogeneously distributed in brain with the density in gray matter structures varying more than 10-fold. Lesion studies suggest that a substantial portion of binding is associated with nerve terminals. [3H]DHR autoradiography is the first quantitative method to examine complex I with a high degree of anatomic precision. This technique may help to clarify the potential role of complex I dysfunction in normal aging and disease.

The antianginal agent ranolazine is a weak inhibitor of the respiratory complex I, but with greater potency in broken or uncoupled than in coupled mitochondria

Ranolazine (RS-43285) has shown antianginal effects in clinical trials and cardiac anti-ischaemic activity in several in vivo and in vitro animal models, but without affecting haemodynamics. Its mechanism is thought to mainly involve a switch in substrate utilisation from fatty acids to glucose to, thus, improve efficiency of O2 use; however, its precise molecular target(s) are unknown. In studies to investigate its action further, using isolated rat heart mitochondria, ranolazine was found to weakly inhibit (pIC50 values > 300 microM) respiration by coupled mitochondria provided with NAD(+)-linked substrates but not with succinate. With broken mitochondrial membranes or submitochondrial particles, ranolazine inhibited NADH but not succinate oxidation and with pIC50 values in the lower range of 3-50 microM. Studies with different electron acceptors and respiratory inhibitors indicated that it inhibits respiratory Complex I at a site between ferricyanide and menadione and ubiquinone-1 reduction (i.e. at a similar locus to rotenone). However, unlike rotenone, ranolazine was an uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to ubiquinone-1. Ranolazine inhibition of Complex I was reversible and occurred also with mitochondria from pig, guinea pig, and human heart, and rat liver. Further studies using rat heart mitochondria in different energisation states (i.e. broken, uncoupled, or coupled) showed a 50-100-fold shift to greater potency of ranolazine in the broken compared to the coupled; with the uncoupled it was about 2-fold less potent than the broken. These shifts in potency were not found with rotenone or amytal. Studies with radiolabelled ranolazine showed that it bound to mitochondrial membranes with greater affinity in the broken compared to the coupled or uncoupled conditions. Rotenone displaced radiolabelled ranolazine from its binding site. This property of ranolazine may play some role in its anti-ischaemic activity.

Alterations in mitochondrial function and morphology in chronic liver disease: pathogenesis and potential for therapeutic intervention

Studies assessing mitochondrial function and structure in livers from humans or experimental animals with chronic liver disease, including liver cirrhosis, revealed a variety of alterations in comparison with normal subjects or control animals. Depending on the etiology of chronic liver disease, the function of the electron transport chain and/or ATP synthesis was found to be impaired, leading to decreased oxidative metabolism of various substrates and to impaired recovery of the hepatic energy state after a metabolic insult. Changes in mitochondrial structure include megamitochondria with reduced cristae, dilatation of mitochondrial cristae and crystalloid inclusions in the mitochondrial matrix. The most important strategies to maintain an adequate mitochondrial function per liver are mitochondrial proliferation and increases in the activity of critical enzymes or in the content of cofactors per mitochondrion. Possibilities to assess hepatic mitochondrial function and to treat mitochondrial dysfunction in patients with chronic liver disease are discussed.

Cloning, in vitro mitochondrial import and membrane assembly of the 17.8 kDa subunit of complex I from Neurospora crassa

We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA encoding a 17.8 kDa subunit of the hydrophobic fragment of complex I from Neurospora crassa. The deduced primary structure of this subunit was partially confirmed by automated Edman degradation of the isolated polypeptide. The sequence data obtained indicate that the 17.8 kDa subunit is made as an extended precursor of 20.8 kDa. Resistance of the polypeptide to alkaline extraction from mitochondrial membranes and the existence of a putative membrane-spanning domain suggests that the 17.8 kDa subunit is an intrinsic (bitopic) membrane protein. The in vitro synthesized precursor of the 17.8 kDa subunit can be efficiently imported into isolated mitochondria, where it is cleaved to the mature species by the metal-dependent matrix-processing peptidase. The in vitro imported mature subunit is found mainly exposed to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. However, a significant fraction of the imported polypeptide acquires the same membrane topology as the endogenous subunit, indicating that correct assembly in the mitochondrial inner membrane did occur.

Primary structure and mitochondrial import in vitro of the 20.9 kDa subunit of complex I from Neurospora crassa

The 20.9 kDa subunit of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) from Neurospora crassa is a nuclear-coded component of the hydrophobic arm of the enzyme. We have determined the primary structure of this subunit by sequencing a full-length cDNA and a cleavage product of the isolated polypeptide. The deduced protein sequence is 189 amino acid residues long and contains a putative membrane-spanning domain. Striking similarity over a 60 amino-acid-residue domain with the M (matrix) protein of para-influenza virus was found. No other relationship with already known sequences could be detected, leaving the function of this subunit in complex I still undefined. The biogenetic pathway of this polypeptide was studied using a mitochondrial import system in vitro. The 20.9 kDa subunit synthesized in vitro is efficiently imported into isolated mitochondria, where it obtains distinct features of the endogenous subunit. Our results suggest that the 20.9 kDa polypeptide is made on cytosolic ribosomes lacking a cleavable targeting sequence, interacts with the mitochondrial outer membrane (in a process that does not require an energized inner membrane), and is imported into mitochondria at contact sites. The 20.9 kDa subunit is then inserted into the inner membrane acquiring a topology similar to that of the already assembled subunit.

The NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) of respiratory chains

The inner membranes of mitochondria contain three multi-subunit enzyme complexes that act successively to transfer electrons from NADH to oxygen, which is reduced to water (Fig. I). The first enzyme in the electron transfer chain, NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (or complex I), is the subject of this review. It removes electrons from NADH and passes them via a series of enzyme-bound redox centres (FMN and Fe-S clusters) to the electron acceptor ubiquinone. For each pair of electrons transferred from NADH to ubiquinone it is usually considered that four protons are removed from the matrix (see section 4.1 for further discussion of this point).

The acridones, new inhibitors of mitochondrial NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I)

Acridones (9-azaanthracen-10-ones) were found to be powerful inhibitors of mitochondrial NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase. Their inhibitory activity was best if an alkyl or alkyloxy substituent resided in the 4-position. Biological activity reached a maximum at a chain length of 9-10 A. Halogen substitution in position 7, but not in positions 6 and 7, further enhanced activity. 2-Alkylacridones were much less active. Inhibitory activity in a Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) could be correlated to Verloop's STERIMOL parameters L and L2 (Verloop, A., Hoogenstraten, W. and Tipker, J. (1976) in Drug Design (Ariens, E.J., ed.), Vol. 7, pp. 165-207, Academic Press, New York). The QSAR could be further improved by inclusion of the lipophilicity parameter pi.

Inhibition of glucose transport in human erythrocytes by ubiquinone Q0

Searches of the protein data bases revealed limited homologies between several regions of the human erythrocyte glucose transporter containing a relative abundance of hydrogen-bonding amino-acid side chains, and proteins of the NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase family. This raised the possibility the binding sites for glucose and ubiquinone may be similar in the respective proteins. Experimental studies demonstrated that ubiquinone Q0 does in fact inhibit both glucose entry and glucose exit in human erythrocytes with kinetics consistent with the existence of ubiquinone binding sites at both the exofacial and endofacial sides of the transporter. Glucose transport was also inhibited by the water-soluble tryptophan-inactivating agent, dimethyl(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)sulphonium bromide, and this is consistent with the presence of tryptophan residues in two of the exofacial amino-acid sequences proposed as candidates for involvement in glucose binding sites.

Photoaffinity labelling of mitochondrial NADH: ubiquinone reductase with pethidine analogues

1. Chemically reactive derivatives of pethidine analogues--novel potent inhibitors of the mitochondrial NADH: ubiquinone reductase (complex I)--were synthesized. 2. Dose-response curves of these components revealed that the photoactivatable aryl azido derivative has retained most of the inhibitory activity displayed by the parent substance. After introduction of a radioactive iodine isotope into the molecule, it was used as a probe for the localization of the inhibitor binding polypeptides within complex I. 3. Photolysis of the radiolabelled derivative bound to isolated complex I both from Neurospora crassa and beef heart resulted in a covalent incorporation of the inhibitor into 6-7 individual subunits of the enzyme. Essentially the same labelling patterns were obtained, when whole mitochondrial membranes were incubated with the reactive derivative. 4. Applying a double isotope labelling technique, the inhibitor-binding polypeptides in N. crassa were identified as mitochondrially synthesized constituents of complex I (ND gene products). In the beef heart enzyme the ND-1 product was detected to be among the polypeptides reacting with the inhibitor. 5. Competition experiments employing either NADH or decylbenzoquinone (DB), together with the pethidine analogue, showed that both enzyme substrates interfere specifically with the inhibitor binding to complex I.

Assembly kinetics and identification of precursor proteins of complex I from Neurospora crassa

Complex I from Neurospora crassa was fractionated using chaotropic agents and various chromatographic techniques. Several subunits were isolated. Polyclonal antibodies directed against the holocomplex or individual subunits were raised in rabbits, and employed to analyse the composition and assembly of this respiratory chain enzyme in vivo. N. crassa cells were pulse-labelled with radioactive amino acids. The time course of incorporation of radioactivity into complex-I polypeptides was studied by immunoprecipitation. The labelling kinetics of whole complex I was found to be similar to that of cytochrome oxidase, displaying a half-maximal labelling time of 10 min. Newly synthesized individual polypeptide subunits (about 23 species) assembled into the holoenzyme at markedly different rates. Two mitochondrially synthesized proteins, a 29-kDa polypeptide (the ND-1 gene product) and a 12-kDa polypeptide were the fastest components to appear in the enzyme. We estimate that the precursor pool sizes of all components range between 1-25% of the amounts present in the final complex. Precursors of polypeptides of complex I were synthesized in an heterologous cell-free system and immunoprecipitated with subunit specific antibodies. Six isolated precursors were compared with the corresponding mature proteins. It appears that four subunits (apparent molecular masses of 22, 25, 31 and 33 kDa) are initially synthesized as larger-molecular-mass precursors. Two subunits (apparent molecular masses of 12.5 and 14 kDa) are made with the same size as their mature forms.