New insights into AOX2 transcriptional regulation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Alternative Oxidase: From Molecule and Function to Future Inhibitors

In the respiratory chain of the majority of aerobic organisms, the enzyme alternative oxidase (AOX) functions as the terminal oxidase and has important roles in maintaining metabolic and signaling homeostasis in mitochondria. AOX endows the respiratory system with flexibility in the coupling among the carbon metabolism pathway, electron transport chain (ETC) activity, and ATP turnover. AOX allows electrons to bypass the main cytochrome pathway to restrict the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The inhibition of AOX leads to oxidative damage and contributes to the loss of adaptability and viability in some pathogenic organisms. Although AOXs have recently been identified in several organisms, crystal structures and major functions still need to be explored. Recent work on the trypanosome alternative oxidase has provided a crystal structure of an AOX protein, which contributes to the structure-activity relationship of the inhibitors of AOX. Here, we review the current knowledge on the development, structure, and properties of AOXs, as well as their roles and mechanisms in plants, animals, algae, protists, fungi, and bacteria, with a special emphasis on the development of AOX inhibitors, which will improve the understanding of respiratory regulation in many organisms and provide references for subsequent studies of AOX-targeted inhibitors.

The mitochondrial alternative oxidase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii enables survival in high light

Photosynthetic organisms often experience extreme light conditions that can cause hyper-reduction of the chloroplast electron transport chain, resulting in oxidative damage. Accumulating evidence suggests that mitochondrial respiration and chloroplast photosynthesis are coupled when cells are absorbing high levels of excitation energy. This coupling helps protect the cells from hyper-reduction of photosynthetic electron carriers and diminishes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To examine this cooperative protection, here we characterized Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants lacking the mitochondrial alternative terminal respiratory oxidases, CrAOX1 and CrAOX2. Using fluorescent fusion proteins, we experimentally demonstrated that both enzymes localize to mitochondria. We also observed that the mutant strains were more sensitive than WT cells to high light under mixotrophic and photoautotrophic conditions, with the aox1 strain being more sensitive than aox2 Additionally, the lack of CrAOX1 increased ROS accumulation, especially in very high light, and damaged the photosynthetic machinery, ultimately resulting in cell death. These findings indicate that the Chlamydomonas AOX proteins can participate in acclimation of C. reinhardtii cells to excess absorbed light energy. They suggest that when photosynthetic electron carriers are highly reduced, a chloroplast-mitochondria coupling allows safe dissipation of photosynthetically derived electrons via the reduction of O₂ through AOX (especially AOX1)-dependent mitochondrial respiration.

Regulation of sulfur deprivation-induced expression of the ferredoxin-encoding FDX5 gene Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in aerobic conditions

The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii reacts to sulfur (S) starvation with the increased expression of numerous genes. One gene which is induced in illuminated anaerobic S-deprived cells is the ferredoxin-5 gene (FDX5). To test FDX5 transcriptional regulation in aerobic cultures, we used a real-time PCR analysis and an artificial microRNA approach. We demonstrated that FDX5 gene is controlled by S deprivation independently of anoxia-treatment. The Ser/Thr kinase SNRK2.1 is necessary for expression of FDX5 during deprivation to S. Copper response regulator 1 (CRR1) is not involved in FDX5 up-regulation in S-deficient cells under aerobic conditions. Furthermore, expression of FDX5 is negatively regulated by nitric oxide (NO). Moreover, truncated hemoglobin 1 (THB1) underexpression resulted in the decrease in FDX5 transcript abundance in S-deficient cells under aerobic conditions. Together, our results imply that the FDX5 gene is controlled by NO in THB1-dependent pathway under conditions of depleted S supply.

Regulation of alternative oxidase 1 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during sulfur starvation

The mitochondrial respiratory chain in plants, some protists and many fungi consists of the ATP-coupling cyanide-sensitive cytochrome pathway and the cyanide-resistant alternative respiratory pathway. The alternative pathway is mediated by alternative oxidase (AOX). Although AOX has been proposed to play essential roles in nutrient stress tolerance of plants and protists, the effects of sulfur (S) deprivation, on AOX are largely unknown. The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii reacts to S limitation conditions with the induced expression of many genes. In this work, we demonstrated that exposure of C. reinhardtii to S deprivation results in the up-regulation of AOX1 expression and an increased AOX1 protein. Furthermore, S-deprived C. reinhardtii cells display the enhanced AOX1 capacity. Moreover, nitrate assimilation regulatory protein (NIT2) is involved in the control of the AOX1 gene expression in the absence of S. Together, the results clearly indicate that AOX1 relates to S limitation stress responses and is regulated in a NIT2-dependent manner, probably together with yet-unknown regulatory factor(s).

Nitric oxide upregulates expression of alternative oxidase 1 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The mitochondrial respiratory chain in plants, many fungi and some protists consists of the ATP-coupling cyanide-sensitive cytochrome pathway and the cyanide-resistant alternative respiratory pathway. The alternative pathway is mediated by alternative oxidase (AOX). In unicellular algae, AOXs are monomeric fungi-type proteins. Studies performed in the model plant Chlamydomonas reinhardtii showed that a range of stress factors lead to induction of its AOX1. However, signaling molecules that trigger upregulation of AOX1 have not yet been identified. Here, we were able to discriminate between two alternative oxidases of the alga. In this work, we demonstrated that exposure of C. reinhardtii to nitric oxide (NO) resulted in the up-regulation of AOX1 expression and an increased AOX1 protein. Furthermore, NO-treated C. reinhardtii cells displayed the enhanced AOX1 capacity. We also clearly demonstrated that AOX1 can function in C. reinhardtii when the cytochrome oxidase became inhibited by NO. Although the pathway(s) that leads to increased AOX1 levels and activity upon NO treatment is yet unknown, it is now clear that NO serves as the signal to trigger this regulatory process in C. reinhardtii.