Mammalian cardiolipin biosynthesis

Improving Age-Related Cognitive Decline through Dietary Interventions Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Aging is inevitable and it is one of the major contributors to cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive decline are still the object of extensive research. At the biological level, it is unknown how the aging brain is subjected to progressive oxidative stress and neuroinflammation which determine, among others, mitochondrial dysfunction. The link between mitochondrial dysfunction and cognitive impairment is becoming ever more clear by the presence of significant neurological disturbances in human mitochondrial diseases. Possibly, the most important lifestyle factor determining mitochondrial functioning is nutrition. Therefore, with the present work, we review the latest findings disclosing a link between nutrition, mitochondrial functioning and cognition, and pave new ways to counteract cognitive decline in late adulthood through diet.

Analysis of phospholipid synthesis in mitochondria

Mitochondria and their associated membranes actively participate in biosynthesis, trafficking, and degradation of cellular phospholipids. Two crucial lipid biosynthetic activities of mitochondria include (i) the decarboxylation of phosphatidylserine to phosphatidylethanolamine and (ii) the de novo synthesis of cardiolipin. Here we describe protocols to measure these two activities, applying isotope-labeled or exogenous substrates in combination with thin-layer chromatography or mass spectrometry.

Regulation of hepatic cardiolipin metabolism by TNFα: Implication in cancer cachexia

Cardiolipin (CL) content accumulation leads to an increase in energy wasting in liver mitochondria in a rat model of cancer cachexia in which tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is highly expressed. In this study we investigated the mechanisms involved in liver mitochondria CL accumulation in cancer cachexia and examined if TNFα was involved in this process leading to mitochondrial bioenergetics alterations. We studied gene, protein expression and activity of the main enzymes involved in CL metabolism in liver mitochondria from a rat model of cancer cachexia and in HepaRG hepatocyte-like cells exposed to 20 ng/ml of TNFα for 12 h. Phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase (PGPS) gene expression was increased 2.3-fold (p<0.02) and cardiolipin synthase (CLS) activity decreased 44% (p<0.03) in cachectic rat livers compared to controls. CL remodeling enzymes monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase (MLCL AT-1) activity and tafazzin (TAZ) gene expression were increased 30% (p<0.01) and 50% (p<0.02), respectively, in cachectic rat livers compared to controls. Incubation of hepatocytes with TNFα increased CL content 15% (p<0.05), mitochondrial oxygen consumption 33% (p<0.05), PGPS gene expression 44% (p<0.05) and MLCL AT-1 activity 20% (p<0.05) compared to controls. These above findings strongly suggest that in cancer cachexia, TNFα induces a higher energy wasting in liver mitochondria by increasing CL content via upregulation of PGPS expression.

Dietary fatty acid composition and the homeostatic regulation of mitochondrial phospholipid classes in red muscle of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Although dietary lipid quality markedly affects fatty acid (FA) composition of mitochondrial membranes from rainbow trout red muscle (Oncorhynchus mykiss), mitochondrial processes are relatively unchanged. As certain classes of phospholipids interact more intimately with membrane proteins than others, we examined whether specific phospholipid classes from these muscle mitochondria were more affected by dietary FA composition than others. To test this hypothesis, we fed trout with two diets differing only in their FA composition: Diet 1 had higher levels of 18:1n-9 and 18:2n-6 than Diet 2, while 22:6n-3 and 22:5n-6 were virtually absent from Diet 1 and high in Diet 2. After 5 months, trout fed Diet 2 had higher proportions of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and less phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in mitochondrial membranes than those fed Diet 1. The FA composition of PC, PE and cardiolipin (CL) showed clear evidence of regulated incorporation of dietary FA. For trout fed Diet 2, 22:6n-3 was the most abundant FA in PC, PE and CL. The n-6 FA were consistently higher in all phospholipid classes of trout fed Diet 1, with shorter n-6 FA being favoured in CL than in PC and PE. Despite these marked changes in individual FA levels with diet, general characteristics such as total polyunsaturated FA, total monounsaturated FA and total saturated FA were conserved in PE and CL, confirming differential regulation of the FA composition of PC, PE and CL. The regulated changes of phospholipid classes presumably maintain critical membrane characteristics despite varying nutritional quality. We postulate that these changes aim to protect mitochondrial function.

Changes in the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in aging and age-associated diseases

Aging is a biological process associated with impairment of mitochondrial bioenergetic function, increased oxidative stress, attenuated ability to respond to stresses and increased risk in contracting age-associated diseases. When mitochondria are subjected to oxidative stress, accompanied by calcium overload and ATP depletion, they undergo "a permeability transition", characterized by sudden induced change of the inner mitochondrial membrane permeability for water as well as for low-molecular weight solutes (≤1.5kDa), resulting in membrane depolarization and uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. Research interest in the entity responsible for this phenomenon, the "mitochondrial permeability transition pore" (MPTP) has dramatically increased after demonstration that it plays a key role in the life and death decision in cells. The molecular structure and identity of MPTP is not yet known, although the pore is thought to exist as multiprotein complex. Some evidence indicate that the sensitivity of mitochondria to Ca(2+)-induced MPTP opening increases with aging; however the basis of this difference is unknown. Changes in MPTP structure and/or function may have important implications in the aging process and aged-associated diseases. This article examines data relevant to this issue. The important role of a principal lipidic counter-partner of the MPTP, cardiolipin, will also be discussed.

Melatonin, cardiolipin and mitochondrial bioenergetics in health and disease

Melatonin is a natural occurring compound with well-known antioxidant properties. Melatonin is ubiquitously distributed and because of its small size and amphiphilic nature, it is able to reach easily all cellular and subcellular compartments. The highest intracellular melatonin concentrations are found in mitochondria, raising the possibility of functional significance for this targeting with involvement in situ in mitochondrial activities. Mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, are considered to be the most important cellular organelles to contribute to degenerative processes mainly through respiratory chain dysfunction and formation of reactive oxygen species, leading to damage to mitochondrial proteins, lipids and DNA. Therefore, protecting mitochondria from oxidative damage could be an effective therapeutic strategy against cellular degenerative processes. Many of the beneficial effects of melatonin administration may depend on its effect on mitochondrial physiology. Cardiolipin, a phospholipid located at the level of inner mitochondrial membrane is known to be intimately involved in several mitochondrial bioenergetic processes as well as in mitochondrial-dependent steps of apoptosis. Alterations to cardiolipin structure, content and acyl chain composition have been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple tissues in several physiopathological situations and aging. Recently, melatonin was reported to protect the mitochondria from oxidative damage by preventing cardiolipin oxidation and this may explain, at least in part, the beneficial effect of this molecule in mitochondrial physiopathology. In this review, we discuss the role of melatonin in preventing mitochondrial dysfunction and disease.

Role of cardiolipin peroxidation and Ca2+ in mitochondrial dysfunction and disease

Cardiolipin is a unique phospholipid which is almost exclusively located at the level of the inner mitochondrial membrane where it is biosynthesized. This phospholipid is known to be intimately involved in several mitochondrial bioenergetic processes. In addition, cardiolipin also has active roles in several of the mitochondrial-dependent steps of apoptosis and in mitochondrial membrane dynamics. Alterations in cardiolipin structure, content and acyl chains composition have been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple tissues in several physiopathological conditions, including ischemia/reperfusion, different thyroid states, diabetes, aging and heart failure. Cardiolipin is particularly susceptible to ROS attack due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids. Oxidative damage to cardiolipin would negatively impact the biochemical function of the mitochondrial membranes altering membrane fluidity, ion permeability, structure and function of components of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, resulting in reduced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation efficiency and apoptosis. Diseases in which mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to cardiolipin peroxidation are described. Ca(2+), particularly at high concentrations, appears to have several negative effects on mitochondrial function, some of these effects being linked to CL peroxidation. Cardiolipin peroxidation has been shown to participate, together with Ca(2+), in mitochondrial permeability transition. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of CL peroxidation and Ca(2+) in mitochondrial dysfunction and disease.

Enzymatic synthesis of [3H]Cytidine 5'-diphospho-1, 2-diacyl-sn-glycerol

Cytidine 5'-diphospho-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol (CDP-diacylglycerol; CDP-DG) is an important intermediate in the biosynthesis of the major glycerophosphate-based phospholipids of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This compound is expensive to purchase and inefficient to prepare chemically. Radiolabeled CDP-diacylglycerol is unavailable commercially. We describe a simple and inexpensive method to synthesize [3H]CDP-DG enzymatically. The three-step enzymatic procedure includes phosphorylation of [3H]glycerol to sn-[3H]glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P) by glycerokinase,acylation of [3H]G3P to [3H]phosphatidic acid (PA) by G3P acyltransferase, and conversion of [3H]PA and CTP to [3H]CDP-DG by CDP-DG synthase. This procedure is considerably less labor intensive and less expensive than is chemical synthesis, and the yield is at least 30%.

Cardiolipin synthase is associated with a large complex in yeast mitochondria

The phospholipid cardiolipin (CL) is ubiquitous in eucaryotes and is unique in structure, subcellular localization, and potential function. Previous studies have shown that CL is associated with major respiratory complexes in the mitochondrial membrane. To determine whether CL biosynthesis requires the presence of intact respiratory complexes, we measured activity of CL synthase, which catalyzes the synthesis of CL from cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with genetic defects in the oxidative phosphorylation system. Assembly mutants of cytochrome oxidase had significantly reduced CL synthase activity, while assembly mutants of respiratory complex III and the F0F1-ATPase were less inhibited. To obtain further information on the activity of CL synthase, we purified the enzyme and compared the size of the catalytic protein with the functional molecular mass. The enzyme was solubilized by Triton X-100 from KSCN-extracted mitochondrial membranes of S. cerevisiae. The functional molecular mass of Triton-solubilized CL synthase, determined by radiation inactivation, was 150-240 kDa, indicating that the functional enzyme was a large complex. After partial purification, the enzyme eluted from a Superose 12 gel filtration column with an apparent molecular mass of 70 kDa. CL synthase was further purified by hydroxylapatite and cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol affinity chromatographies, Mono Q anion exchange FPLC, and preparative gel electrophoresis. These steps led to identification of a 28-kDa protein, which had catalytic activity when eluted from an SDS-polyacrylamide gel. This 28-kDa protein also reacted with an antiserum that inactivated the enzyme. We conclude that yeast CL synthase is a 28-kDa protein, which forms an oligomeric complex whose biogenesis and/or activity is influenced by the assembly of cyto-chrome oxidase.

Kinetic analysis of cardiolipin synthase: a membrane enzyme with two glycerophospholipid substrates

Mitochondrial cardiolipin synthase catalyzes the transfer of a phosphatidyl moiety from phosphatidyl-CMP (PtdCMP) to phosphatidylglycerol (PtdGro) in the presence of specific divalent cations. The synthase was solubilized from Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondria and purified about 300-fold. The partially enzyme was part of a medium-size, mixed micelle which had to bind to a foreign substrate/detergent micelle before catalysis could occur. The kinetics of cardiolipin synthase were studied by changing the molar fraction of substrate in the micelles. The enzyme obeyed Michaelis-Menten kinetics in relation to PtdCMP with a Km of 0.03 mol%. PtdGro caused sigmoidal kinetics with a low apparent affinity. It is speculated that it was involved in docking the enzyme to the substrate/detergent micelle. Cardiolipin synthase did not catalyze isotope exchange between [14C]CMP and PtdCMP, virtually excluding a ping-pong catalytic mechanism. Mg2+ stimulated the activity by increasing the turnover number rather than the substrate affinity, a mechanism which was also found for the Co(2+)-activation of rat liver cardiolipin synthase. It is concluded that a direct association of the metal ion and the enzyme forms the active cardiolipin synthase which has a very high affinity for PtdCMP and a lower affinity for PtdGro.

Inhibition of cardiolipin biosynthesis in the hypoxic rat heart

Cardiolipin is the principal polyglycerophospholipid in the heart. The effect of hypoxia on cardiolipin biosynthesis was investigated in isolated rat hearts perfused in the Langendorff mode. Hearts were pulsed-labeled for 60 min with 0.1 mM [1,(3)-3H]glycerol in Krebs Henseleit buffer saturated with either 95% O2/5% CO2 (control) or 95% N2/5% CO2 (hypoxic). Radioactivity incorporated into phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin were reduced 88% (P < .05) and 79% (P < .05), respectively, in hypoxic hearts compared to controls. In other experiments, hearts were pulse-labeled for 15 min with 1.4 mM [32P]Pi in Krebs Henseleit buffer saturated with 95% O2/5% CO2 and subsequently perfused for 60 min under control or hypoxic conditions. The radioactivity incorporated into CDP-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin were reduced 61% (P < .05), 71% (P < .05), and 70% (P < .05), respectively, in the hypoxic hearts compared to controls, indicating a decreased formation of CDP-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol in the hypoxic heart. The activities of the enzymes involved in cardiolipin biosynthesis and the cardiac pool sizes of cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, and CDP-1,2-diacyl-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol were unaltered between hypoxic and control hearts. In contrast, cardiac adenosine-5'-triphosphate and CPT levels were decreased 94% (P < .05) and 92% (P < .05), respectively, in hypoxic hearts compared to controls. We postulate that the biosynthesis of the cardiac polyglycerophospholipid cardiolipin may be inhibited by a decreased adenosine-5'-triphosphate and cytidine-5'-triphosphate level in the heart.

Decrease in cardiac phosphatidylglycerol in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats does not affect cardiolipin biosynthesis: evidence for distinct pools of phosphatidylglycerol in the heart

Biosynthesis of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL) were investigated in perfused hearts of diabetic rats 4 days or 28 days after streptozotocin injection. Sham-injected and insulin-treated diabetic rats were used as controls. In addition, another group of rats fasted for 54 h was examined. Isolated rat hearts from these groups were perfused for 30 min with [32P]P(i), and the radioactivity incorporated into PG and CL and their pool sizes were determined in heart ventricles. There was no difference in the amount of radioactivity incorporated into CL, PG or other phospholipids between all groups. In addition, the pool sizes of CL and other phospholipids were unaltered. However, a striking decrease in the pool size of PG was observed in both diabetic and fasted rats compared to sham- and insulin-treated controls at 4 days after streptozotocin injection. The decrease in PG mass in diabetic rats was rapid (within 24-48 h) and was localized to cardiac membranes. Diabetes did not affect the activity of the enzymes of PG and CL biosynthesis in the mitochondrial fraction, or phospholipase A activity in subcellular fractions prepared from rat heart homogenates. In addition, pulse-chase experiments confirmed that diabetes did not affect the rate of new PG or CL biosynthesis. Since radioactivity associated with PG was unaltered in continuous-pulse perfusion experiments, a calculated 1.8-fold increase in the specific radioactivity of cardiac PG was observed in the hearts of acute diabetic rats compared with controls. Since the radioactivity incorporated into PG and CL, and the rate of CL biosynthesis, were unaltered in diabetic-rat hearts compared with controls, new CL was probably synthesized from newly synthesized PG. We postulate the existence of distinct pools of PG in the heart, and that the pool of newly synthesized PG used for CL biosynthesis does not appear to mix immediately with the pre-existing pool of PG in the isolated intact rat heart.

Cardiolipin biosynthesis in the isolated heart

The pathway for the biosynthesis of new cardiolipin was investigated in the isolated perfused intact rat heart. Isolated rat hearts were perfused in the Langendorff mode for up to 60 min with Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 0.1 microM [U-14C]glycerol. Analysis of radioactivity incorporated into phospholipids in the organic phase revealed an increase in radioactivity incorporated into phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin and other phospholipids with time of perfusion. This was associated with a loss of radioactivity from phosphatidic acid. In contrast, perfusion of hearts for up to 60 min with 0.1 mM [1,(3)-3H]glycerol in the perfusate revealed an increased radioactivity associated with phosphatidic acid as well as cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol and other phospholipids. Perfusion of hearts for up to 60 min with [32P]Pi in the perfusate revealed a time-dependent increase in radioactivity associated with all phospholipids. Perfusion of hearts for up to 60 min with 0.1 microM or 0.1 mM glycerol in the perfusate did not affect the concentration of phosphatidic acid, cardiolipin or phosphatidylglycerol. To determine the rate-limiting step of cardiolipin biosynthesis, hearts were pulsed for 5 min with 0.1 microM [1,(3)-3H]glycerol and chased for up to 60 min with 0.1 microM glycerol in the perfusate. Radioactivity was maximum at the start of the chase in phosphatidic acid (and 1,2-diacylglycerol), and was subsequently chased into phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin (and other phospholipids). Significant radioactivity in phosphatidylglycerol phosphate was not detected. Radioactivity in CDP-sn-1,2-diacylglycerol remained constant throughout the chase. The activities of the enzymes of the Kennedy pathway for cardiolipin biosynthesis in the heart were determined. On the basis of continuous-pulse and pulse-chase labelling studies it is postulated that the cardiac polyglycerophospholipids phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin are actively synthesized from newly synthesized phosphatidic acid via the Kennedy pathway. In addition, the results suggest that the rate-limiting step of cardiolipin biosynthesis in the intact heart is probably the conversion of phosphatidic acid into CDP-sn-1,2-diacylglycerol.

Mitochondrial cardiolipin in diverse eukaryotes. Comparison of biosynthetic reactions and molecular acyl species

Cardiolipin, a unique dimeric phospholipid of bacteria and mitochondria, can be synthesized by two alternative pathways discovered in rat and Escherichia coli, respectively. In mitochondrial preparations from fungi (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Neurospora crassa), higher plants (Phaseolus aureus), molluscs (Mytilus edulis) and mammals (rat liver, bovine adrenal gland), cardiolipin was synthesized from CDP-diacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol, suggesting a common eukaryotic mechanism of cardiolipin formation which is in contrast to the prokaryotic biosynthesis from two molecules of phosphatidylglycerol. All mitochondrial cardiolipin synthases were inhibited by lysophosphatidylglycerol, were insensitive to N-ethylmaleimide and required divalent cations, although they had different cation specificities. The molecular species of cardiolipin from rat liver, bovine heart, S. cerevisiae and N. crassa were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography of the derivative 1,3-bis[3'-sn-phosphatidyl]-2-benzoyl-sn-glycerol dimethyl ester. Cardiolipins from these organisms contained mainly monounsaturated or diunsaturated chains with 16 or 18 carbon atoms, resulting in a relatively homogeneous distribution of double bonds and carbon numbers among the four acyl positions. About half of the molecular species were symmetrical, i.e. they combined two identical diacylglycerol moieties. In N. crassa, the same species pattern was found at growth temperatures of 25 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Tentative molecular models were created for the most abundant molecular species and subjected to energy minimization. Geometric data, derived from these models, suggested similarities in the gross structure of the major cardiolipin species from different sources.