Inhibition of brain mitochondrial Ca2+ transport by amiloride analogues

The Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uniporter: Structure, Function, and Pharmacology

Mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake is crucial for an array of cellular functions while an imbalance can elicit cell death. In this chapter, we briefly reviewed the various modes of mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake and our current understanding of mitochondrial Ca²⁺ homeostasis in regards to cell physiology and pathophysiology. Further, this chapter focuses on the molecular identities, intracellular regulators as well as the pharmacology of mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter complex.

Distinctive characteristics and functions of multiple mitochondrial Ca2+ influx mechanisms

Intracellular Ca(2+) is vital for cell physiology. Disruption of Ca(2+) homeostasis contributes to human diseases such as heart failure, neuron-degeneration, and diabetes. To ensure an effective intracellular Ca(2+) dynamics, various Ca(2+) transport proteins localized in different cellular regions have to work in coordination. The central role of mitochondrial Ca(2+) transport mechanisms in responding to physiological Ca(2+) pulses in cytosol is to take up Ca(2+) for regulating energy production and shaping the amplitude and duration of Ca(2+) transients in various micro-domains. Since the discovery that isolated mitochondria can take up large quantities of Ca(2+) approximately 5 decades ago, extensive studies have been focused on the functional characterization and implication of ion channels that dictate Ca(2+) transport across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake sensitive to non-specific inhibitors ruthenium red and Ru360 has long been considered as the activity of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter (MCU). The general consensus is that MCU is dominantly or exclusively responsible for the mitochondrial Ca(2+) influx. Since multiple Ca(2+) influx mechanisms (e.g. L-, T-, and N-type Ca(2+) channel) have their unique functions in the plasma membrane, it is plausible that mitochondrial inner membrane has more than just MCU to decode complex intracellular Ca(2+) signaling in various cell types. During the last decade, four molecular identities related to mitochondrial Ca(2+) influx mechanisms have been identified. These are mitochondrial ryanodine receptor, mitochondrial uncoupling proteins, LETM1 (Ca(2+)/H(+) exchanger), and MCU and its Ca(2+) sensing regulatory subunit MICU1. Here, we briefly review recent progress in these and other reported mitochondrial Ca(2+) influx pathways and their differences in kinetics, Ca(2+) dependence, and pharmacological characteristics. Their potential physiological and pathological implications are also discussed.

Characteristics and possible functions of mitochondrial Ca(2+) transport mechanisms

Mitochondria produce around 92% of the ATP used in the typical animal cell by oxidative phosphorylation using energy from their electrochemical proton gradient. Intramitochondrial free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](m)) has been found to be an important component of control of the rate of this ATP production. In addition, [Ca(2+)](m) also controls the opening of a large pore in the inner mitochondrial membrane, the permeability transition pore (PTP), which plays a role in mitochondrial control of programmed cell death or apoptosis. Therefore, [Ca(2+)](m) can control whether the cell has sufficient ATP to fulfill its functions and survive or is condemned to death. Ca(2+) is also one of the most important second messengers within the cytosol, signaling changes in cellular response through Ca(2+) pulses or transients. Mitochondria can also sequester Ca(2+) from these transients so as to modify the shape of Ca(2+) signaling transients or control their location within the cell. All of this is controlled by the action of four or five mitochondrial Ca(2+) transport mechanisms and the PTP. The characteristics of these mechanisms of Ca(2+) transport and a discussion of how they might function are described in this paper.

Mitochondrial transport of cations: channels, exchangers, and permeability transition

This review provides a selective history of how studies of mitochondrial cation transport (K+, Na+, Ca2+) developed in relation to the major themes of research in bioenergetics. It then covers in some detail specific transport pathways for these cations, and it introduces and discusses open problems about their nature and physiological function, particularly in relation to volume regulation and Ca2+ homeostasis. The review should provide the basic elements needed to understand both earlier mitochondrial literature and current problems associated with mitochondrial transport of cations and hopefully will foster new interest in the molecular definition of mitochondrial cation channels and exchangers as well as their roles in cell physiology.

Novel cobalt complex inhibitors of mitochondrial calcium uptake

Reperfusion of the ischaemic myocardium leads to intracellular calcium overload followed by mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in insufficient energy supply and ultimately myocardial necrosis. Ruthenium red (RR), a potent mitochondrial calcium uptake inhibitor, prevents this disruption to mitochondrial metabolism and improves post reperfusion recovery. This therefore suggested that mitochondrial calcium influx is an attractive target for the treatment of reperfusion injury. However, RR is unsuitable for therapeutic use, so we undertook a search for novel compounds which inhibit mitochondrial calcium uptake. The most potent compounds discovered were simple tris(ethylenediamine) transition metal complexes and dinuclear Co complexes. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of these small molecules has helped to define the structural requirements for inhibition of calcium transport by outlining the size and charge dependency of the interactive site on the mitochondrial calcium uniporter.

Transport of calcium by mitochondria

The identification of intramitochondrial free calcium ([Ca2+]m) as a primary metabolic mediator [see Hansford (this volume) and Gunter, T. E., Gunter, K. K., Sheu, S.-S., and Gavin, C. E. (1994) Am. J. Physiol. 267, C313-C339, for reviews] has emphasized the importance of understanding the characteristics of those mechanisms that control [Ca2+]m. In this review, we attempt to update the descriptions of the mechanisms that mediate the transport of Ca2+ across the mitochondrial inner membrane, emphasizing the energetics of each mechanism. New concepts within this field are reviewed and some older concepts are discussed more completely than in earlier reviews. The mathematical forms of the membrane potential dependence and concentration dependence of the uniporter are interpolated in such a way as to display the convenience of considering Vmax to be an explicit function of the membrane potential. Recent evidence for a transient rapid conductance state of the uniporter is discussed. New evidence concerning the energetics and stoichiometries of both Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent efflux mechanisms is reviewed. Explicit mathematical expressions are used to describe the energetics of the system and the kinetics of transport via each Ca2+ transport mechanism.

Ca2+ extrusion across plasma membrane and Ca2+ uptake by intracellular stores

The aim of this review is to summarize the various systems that remove Ca2+ from the cytoplasm. We will initially focus on the Ca2+ pump and the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger of the plasma membrane. We will review the functional regulation of these systems and the recent progress obtained with molecular-biology techniques, which pointed to the existence of different isoforms of the Ca2+ pump. The Ca2+ pumps of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum will be discussed next, by summarizing the discoveries obtained with molecular-biology techniques, and by reviewing the physiological regulation of these proteins. We will finally briefly review the mitochondrial Ca(2+)-uptake mechanism.

Characterization of the mitochondrial Na+-H+ exchange. The effect of amiloride analogues

The kinetic properties and inhibitor sensitivity of the Na+-H+ exchange activity present in the inner membrane of rat heart and liver mitochondria were studied. (1) Na+-induced H+ efflux from mitochondria followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. In heart mitochondria, the Km for Na+ was 24 +/- 4 mM and the Vmax was 4.5 +/- 1.4 nmol H+/mg protein per s (n = 6). Basically similar values were obtained in liver mitochondria (Km = 31 +/- 2 mM, Vmax = 5.3 +/- 0.2 nmol H+/mg protein per s, n = 4). (2) Li+ proved to be a substrate (Km = 5.9 mM, Vmax = 2.3 nmol H+/mg protein per s) and a potent competitive inhibitor with respect to Na+ (Ki approximately 0.7 mM). (3) External H+ inhibited the mitochondrial Na+-H+ exchange competitively. (4) Two benzamil derivatives of amiloride, 5-(N-4-chlorobenzyl)-N-(2',4'-dimethyl)benzamil and 3',5'-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzamil were effective inhibitors of the mitochondrial Na+-H+ exchange (50% inhibition was attained by approx. 60 microM in the presence of 15 mM Na+). (5) Three 5-amino analogues of amiloride, which are very strong Na+-H+ exchange blockers on the plasma membrane, exerted only weak inhibitory activity on the mitochondrial Na+-H+ exchange. (6) The results indicate that the mitochondrial and the plasma membrane antiporters represent distinct molecular entities.