Immunological identification of four different polypeptides in 'subunit VII' of mammalian cytochrome c oxidase

Mitochondrial Protein Cox7b Is a Metabolic Sensor Driving Brain-Specific Metastasis of Human Breast Cancer Cells

Distant metastases are detrimental for cancer patients, but the increasingly early detection of tumors offers a chance for metastasis prevention. Importantly, cancers do not metastasize randomly: depending on the type of cancer, metastatic progenitor cells have a predilection for well-defined organs. This has been theorized by Stephen Paget, who proposed the “seed-and-soil hypothesis”, according to which metastatic colonization occurs only when the needs of a given metastatic progenitor cell (the seed) match with the resources provided by a given organ (the soil). Here, we propose to explore the seed-and-soil hypothesis in the context of cancer metabolism, thus hypothesizing that metastatic progenitor cells must be capable of detecting the availability of metabolic resources in order to home in a secondary organ. If true, it would imply the existence of metabolic sensors. Using human triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and two independent brain-seeking variants as models, we report that cyclooxygenase 7b (Cox7b), a structural component of Complex IV of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, belongs to a probably larger family of proteins responsible for breast cancer brain tropism in mice. For metastasis prevention therapy, this proof-of-principle study opens a quest for the identification of therapeutically targetable metabolic sensors that drive cancer organotropism.

Rapid evolution of the human gene for cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV

We have compared the DNA sequences of nine mammalian genes for cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV (COX4 genes)--four expressed genes (human, bovine, rat, and mouse) and five pseudogenes (human, chimpanzee, orangutan, squirrel monkey, and bovine)--and constructed the sequence of the ancestral mammalian COX4 gene. By analyzing these sequences to determine the pattern and rate of nucleotide substitution in each branch of the evolutionary tree, we deduced that the human gene has evolved rapidly since the origin of the primate pseudogene approximately 41 million years ago, and we discuss the suggestion that this results from coevolution of nuclear and mitochondrial genes for cytochrome c oxidase.

The cytochrome c oxidase from the yeast Candida parapsilosis

In the yeast Candida parapsilosis, the proteins encoded by mitochondrial DNA are different in number and size from those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nevertheless, the purified cytochrome c oxidase from Candida parapsilosis shows kinetic properties similar to those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A new procedure for the purification of monodisperse highly active cytochrome c oxidase from bovine heart

A simple and rapid method for the isolation of a large quantity of cytochrome c oxidase from bovine heart mitochondria was developed, based on selective solubilization of mitochondrial protein with first Triton and then lauryl maltoside. Gel filtration shows that the lauryl maltoside-solubilized oxidase preparation is in a hydrodynamically homogeneous state with a Stokes radius of 7.5 +/- 0.2 nm. It contains 8.0 mumol of haem (with an a/a3 ratio of 1)/g of protein. The catalytic constant (maximum turnover number) with respect to cytochrome c approaches 600 S-1. After further purification of the solubilized enzyme on a sucrose-gradient centrifugation, the purified enzyme has a haem content of 10.3 mumol/g of protein and eight major polypeptide bands shown on SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis.

A monoclonal antibody against cytochrome c oxidase distinguishes cardiac and skeletal muscle mitochondria

The mitochondrial enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (COX) in eukaryotes consists of at least seven subunits, three of which (I-III) are encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mitDNA) and the others (IV-VII) by the nuclear genome. There is increasing evidence that COX in mammals exists in multiple tissue-specific forms, presumably specified by nuclearly encoded subunits. We performed immunologic studies in human cardiac and skeletal muscle, using a monoclonal antibody raised against subunit IV of COX purified from human cardiac muscle. In immunotitration studies, the antibody bound with high affinity to mitochondria from cardiac muscle, but reacted only weakly with mitochondria from skeletal muscle. Similarly, immunocytochemical studies showed prominent mitochondrial staining in frozen sections of heart, but no staining in sections of mature skeletal muscle. Although this antibody did not stain mitochondria in mature skeletal muscle, it clearly stained mitochondria in myoblasts and immature myotubes of human muscle cultures, suggesting that mitochondria in immature muscle cells are different from those in mature muscle, and similar to heart mitochondria. Immunotitration data using either native or denatured COX protein from heart or skeletal muscle showed similar immunoreactivity. These studies indicate that the epitope for recognition by this antibody is exposed in mitochondria from heart and immature muscle cells, but masked in mitochondria from mature skeletal muscle.

Isolation and characterization of human heart cytochrome c oxidase

Cytochrome c oxidase was isolated from human hearts and separated by SDS gel electrophoresis. The identity of polypeptide bands with known subunits was demonstrated by immunoblotting with monospecific antisera to rat liver cytochrome c oxidase subunits. The polarographically determined kinetics of cytochrome c oxidation were similar to those reported for the bovine heart enzyme.

Tissue-specific and species-specific distribution of -SH groups in cytochrome c oxidase subunits

Cytochrome c oxidase was isolated from pig, bovine, rat and human tissues including liver, heart, diaphragm and kidney. The native and the sodium-dodecyl-sulfate (SDS)-dissociated enzymes were labelled under optimal conditions with N-ethyl-[2,3-14C]maleimide before and after reduction with dithiothreitol, separated into 13 subunits by SDS gel electrophoresis and the radioactive bands were visualized by fluorography. In some cases the radioactive bands were cut out and counted. All isozymes were labelled in subunits I, III, Va and VIIb, and in subunit II after reduction. Labelling of subunit Vb was equivocal, and in no case were subunits IV and VIc labelled. All other subunits were labelled tissue-specifically and/or species-specifically. No differences were found between labelling of the native and SDS-dissociated enzyme. By relating the molar amount of bound N-ethylmaleimide to the known amount of cysteines in subunits of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase, the percentage of -SH group reactivity was calculated. Only the cysteine of subunit Va was found to be 100% reactive. The distinct and different reactivity of subunit VIIb as compared to subunits VIIa and VIIc clearly establishes this polypeptide as an independent subunit of mammalian cytochrome c oxidase.

Structure and function of cytochrome-c oxidase

Recent works on the structure and the function of cytochrome-c oxidase are reviewed. The subunit composition of the mitochondrial enzyme depends on the species and is comprised of between 5 and 13 subunits. It is reduced to 1 to 3 subunits in prokaryotes. The complete amino acid composition has been derived from protein sequencing. Gene sequences are partially known in several eukaryote species. Metal centers are only located in subunits I and II. The mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase is Y-shaped; the arms of the Y cross the inner membrane, the stalk protrudes into the intermembrane space. The bacterial enzyme has a simpler, elongated shape. A number of data have been accumulated on the subunit topology and on their location within the protein. All available spectrometric techniques have been used to investigate the environment of the metal centers as well as their interactions. From the literature, attention must be paid to what may be considered or not as an active form. The steady improvement of the instrumentation has yielded evidence for different kinds of heterogeneities which could reflect the in vivo situation. The 'pulsed' and 'resting' conformers have been well characterized. The 'oxygenated' form has been identified as a peroxide derivative of the fully oxidized cytochrome-c oxidase. The mammalian enzyme has been isolated in fully active monomeric form which does not preclude the initially suggested dimeric behavior in situ. The role of the lipids is still largely investigated, mainly through reconstitution experiments. Kinetic studies of electron transfer between cytochrome c and cytochrome-c oxidase lead to a single catalytic site model to account for the multiphasic kinetics. Results related to the low temperature investigation of the intermediate steps in the reaction between oxygen and cytochrome-c oxidase received a sound confirmation by the resolution of compound A at room temperature. It is also pointed out that the so-called mixed valence state might not be a transient state in the catalytic reduction of oxygen. The functioning of cytochrome-c oxidase as a proton pump has been supported by a number of experimental results. Subunit III would be involved in this process. The redox link to the proton pump has been suggested to be at the Fea-CuA site. The molecular mechanism responsible for the proton pumping is still unknown.

Regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms: hypothesis

The present view on the regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms implies only Michaelis-Menten type kinetics and respiratory control as regulatory principles. Recent experimental observations, suggesting further regulatory mechanisms at respiratory chain complexes, are reviewed. A new hypothesis is presented implying regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms mainly via allosteric modification of respiratory chain complexes, in particular of cytochrome c oxidase. The allosteric effectors, e.g., metabolites, cofactors, ions, hormones, and the membrane potential are suggested to change the activity and the coupling degree of cytochrome c oxidase by binding to specific sites at nuclear coded subunits. Recent results on the structure and activity of cytochrome c oxidase, supporting the hypothesis, are reviewed.

Effect of trypsin on the kinetic properties of reconstituted beef heart cytochrome c oxidase

Isolated beef heart cytochrome c oxidase was reconstituted in liposomes by the cholate dialysis method with 85% of the binding site for cytochrome c oriented to the outside. Trypsin cleaved specifically subunit VIa and half of subunit IV from the reconstituted enzyme. The kinetic properties of the reconstituted enzyme were changed by trypsin treatment if measured by the spectrophotometric assay but not by the polarographic assay. It is concluded that subunit VIa and/or subunit IV participate in the electron transport activity of cytochrome c oxidase.

Orientation of rat liver cytochrome c oxidase subunits investigated with subunit-specific antisera

The orientation of rat liver cytochrome c oxidase subunits in the inner mitochondrial membrane was investigated with monospecific antisera against subunit II and nine nuclear-coded subunits. Mitoplasts were incubated with the antisera and the amount of bound antibodies was determined either directly with fluorescein-conjugated protein A or indirectly by back-titration of unbound antibodies with a nitrocellulose immunoassay. All subunits were found oriented to the cytosolic side, except subunits VIb and VIIc which did not react with their corresponding antisera. Antisera against subunits I, III and Vb were not available.

Isolation and properties of cytochrome c oxidase from rat liver and quantification of immunological differences between isozymes from various rat tissues with subunit-specific antisera

Cytochrome c oxidase was isolated from rat liver either by affinity chromatography on cytochrome-c--Sepharose 4B or by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose. Dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of both preparations showed the same subunit pattern consisting of 13 different polypeptides. Kinetic analysis of the two preparations gave a higher Vmax for the enzyme isolated by chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel. Specific antisera were raised in rabbits against nine of the ten nuclear endoded subunits. A monospecific reaction of each antiserum with its corresponding subunit was obtained by Western blot analysis, thus excluding artificial bands in the gel electrophoretic pattern of the isolated enzyme due to proteolysis, aggregation or conformational modification of subunits. With an antiserum against rat liver holocytochrome c oxidase a different reactivity was found by Western blot analysis for subunits VIa and VIII between isolated cytochrome c oxidases from pig liver or kidney and heart or skeletal muscle. For a quantitative analysis of immunological differences a nitrocellulose enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed. Monospecific antisera against 12 of the 13 subunits of rat liver cytochrome c oxidase were titrated with increasing amounts of total mitochondrial proteins from different rat tissues dissolved in dodecyl sulfate and dotted on nitrocellulose. The absorbance of a soluble dye developed by the second peroxidase-conjugated antibody was measured. From the data the following conclusions were obtained: (a) The mitochondrial encoded catalytic subunits I-III of cytochrome c oxidase are probably identical in all rat tissues. (b) All nine investigated nuclear encoded subunits of cytochrome c oxidase showed immunological differences between two or more tissues. Large immunological differences were found between liver, kidney or brain and heart or skeletal muscle. Minor but significant differences were observed for some subunits between heart and skeletal muscle and between liver, kidney and brain. (c) Between corresponding nuclear encoded subunits of cytochrome c oxidase from fetal and adult tissues of liver, heart and skeletal muscle apparent immunological differences were observed. The data could explain cases of fatal infantile myopathy due to cytochrome c oxidase deficiency.

Structure of the cytochrome c oxidase complex of rat liver. 1. Studies on nearest-neighbour relationship of polypeptides with cross-linking reagents

Isolated rat liver cytochrome c oxidase was cross-linked with the cleavable reagents dimethyl-3,3'-dithiobispropionimidate (DTBP), 3,3'-dithiobis(succinimidyl)propionate (DSP) and cupric di(1,10-phenanthroline) (CuP). The cross-linked products were separated by high-resolving two-dimensional dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, which separates all thirteen polypeptides of the mammalian enzyme. With cupric di(1,10-phenanthroline) seven polypeptides (I-III, Va, Vb, VIIb and VIII) were cross-linked with each other and with itself, indicating the occurrence of free -SH groups in these polypeptides and a rearrangement of the native structure of the complex by cupric di(1,10-phenanthroline). With dimethyl-3,3'-dithiobispropionimidate or 3,3'-dithiobis(succinimidyl)propionate all nuclear-coded polypeptides, with the exception of polypeptide VIIa, formed cross-linked products with the three 'catalytic' polypeptides I-III, which are coded on mitochondrial DNA. Five additional cross-linked pairs were found between nuclear coded polypeptides. The close arrangement of nuclear coded polypeptides with the catalytic polypeptides suggests a regulatory function of these polypeptides.