Cytochrome c interactions with cardiolipin in bilayers: a multinuclear magic-angle spinning NMR study

Effects of removal of the axial methionine heme ligand on the binding of S. cerevisiae iso-1 cytochrome c to cardiolipin

The cleavage of the axial S(Met) - Fe bond in cytochrome c (cytc) upon binding to cardiolipin (CL), a glycerophospholipid of the inner mitochondrial membrane, is one of the key molecular changes that impart cytc with (lipo)peroxidase activity essential to its pro-apoptotic function. In this work, UV - VIS, CD, MCD and fluorescence spectroscopies were used to address the role of the Fe - M80 bond in controlling the cytc-CL interaction, by studying the binding of the Met80Ala (M80A) variant of S. cerevisiae iso-1 cytc (ycc) to CL liposomes in comparison with the wt protein [Paradisi et al. J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 25 (2020) 467-487]. The results show that the integrity of the six-coordinate heme center along with the distal heme site containing the Met80 ligand is a not requisite for cytc binding to CL. Indeed, deletion of the Fe - S(Met80) bond has a little impact on the mechanism of ycc-CL interaction, although it results in an increased heme accessibility to solvent and a reduced structural stability of the protein. In particular, M80A features a slightly tighter binding to CL at low CL/cytc ratios compared to wt ycc, possibly due to the lift of some constraints to the insertion of the CL acyl chains into the protein hydrophobic core. M80A binding to CL maintains the dependence on the CL-to-cytc mixing scheme displayed by the wt species.

Iron transitions during activation of allosteric heme proteins in cell signaling

Allosteric heme proteins can fulfill a very large number of different functions thanks to the remarkable chemical versatility of heme through the entire living kingdom. Their efficacy resides in the ability of heme to transmit both iron coordination changes and iron redox state changes to the protein structure. Besides the properties of iron, proteins may impose a particular heme geometry leading to distortion, which allows selection or modulation of the electronic properties of heme. This review focusses on the mechanisms of allosteric protein activation triggered by heme coordination changes following diatomic binding to proteins as diverse as the human NO-receptor, cytochromes, NO-transporters and sensors, and a heme-activated potassium channel. It describes at the molecular level the chemical capabilities of heme to achieve very different tasks and emphasizes how the properties of heme are determined by the protein structure. Particularly, this reviews aims at giving an overview of the exquisite adaptability of heme, from bacteria to mammals.

Wheel and Deal in the Mitochondrial Inner Membranes: The Tale of Cytochrome c and Cardiolipin

Cardiolipin oxidation and degradation by different factors under severe cell stress serve as a trigger for genetically encoded cell death programs. In this context, the interplay between cardiolipin and another mitochondrial factor—cytochrome c—is a key process in the early stages of apoptosis, and it is a matter of intense research. Cytochrome c interacts with lipid membranes by electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic effects. Experimental conditions (including pH, lipid composition, and post-translational modifications) determine which specific amino acid residues are involved in the interaction and influence the heme iron coordination state. In fact, up to four binding sites (A, C, N, and L), driven by different interactions, have been reported. Nevertheless, key aspects of the mechanism for cardiolipin oxidation by the hemeprotein are well established. First, cytochrome c acts as a pseudoperoxidase, a process orchestrated by tyrosine residues which are crucial for peroxygenase activity and sensitivity towards oxidation caused by protein self-degradation. Second, flexibility of two weakest folding units of the hemeprotein correlates with its peroxidase activity and the stability of the iron coordination sphere. Third, the diversity of the mode of interaction parallels a broad diversity in the specific reaction pathway. Thus, current knowledge has already enabled the design of novel drugs designed to successfully inhibit cardiolipin oxidation.

Mitochondrial dysfunction, AMPK activation and peroxisomal metabolism: A coherent scenario for non-canonical 3-methylglutaconic acidurias

The occurrence of 3-methylglutaconic aciduria (3-MGA) is a well understood phenomenon in leucine oxidation and ketogenesis disorders (primary 3-MGAs). In contrast, its genesis in non-canonical (secondary) 3-MGAs, a growing-up group of disorders encompassing more than a dozen of inherited metabolic diseases, is a mystery still remaining unresolved for three decades. To puzzle out this anthologic problem of metabolism, three clues were considered: (i) the variety of disorders suggests a common cellular target at the cross-road of metabolic and signaling pathways, (ii) the response to leucine loading test only discriminative for primary but not secondary 3-MGAs suggests these latter are disorders of extramitochondrial HMG-CoA metabolism as also attested by their failure to increase 3-hydroxyisovalerate, a mitochondrial metabolite accumulating only in primary 3-MGAs, (iii) the peroxisome is an extramitochondrial site possessing its own pool and displaying metabolism of HMG-CoA, suggesting its possible involvement in producing extramitochondrial 3-methylglutaconate (3-MG). Following these clues provides a unifying common basis to non-canonical 3-MGAs: constitutive mitochondrial dysfunction induces AMPK activation which, by inhibiting early steps in cholesterol and fatty acid syntheses, pipelines cytoplasmic acetyl-CoA to peroxisomes where a rise in HMG-CoA followed by local dehydration and hydrolysis may lead to 3-MGA yield. Additional contributors are considered, notably for 3-MGAs associated with hyperammonemia, and to a lesser extent in CLPB deficiency. Metabolic and signaling itineraries followed by the proposed scenario are essentially sketched, being provided with compelling evidence from the literature coming in their support.

Peripheral Membrane Proteins Facilitate Nanoparticle Binding at Lipid Bilayer Interfaces

Molecular understanding of the impact of nanomaterials on cell membranes is critical for the prediction of effects that span environmental exposures to nanoenabled therapies. Experimental and computational studies employing phospholipid bilayers as model systems for membranes have yielded important insights but lack the biomolecular complexity of actual membranes. Here, we increase model membrane complexity by incorporating the peripheral membrane protein cytochrome c and studying the interactions of the resulting membrane systems with two types of anionic nanoparticles. Experimental and computational studies reveal that the extent of cytochrome c binding to supported lipid bilayers depends on anionic phospholipid number density and headgroup chemistry. Gold nanoparticles functionalized with short, anionic ligands or wrapped with an anionic polymer do not interact with silica-supported bilayers composed solely of phospholipids. Strikingly, when cytochrome c was bound to these bilayers, nanoparticles functionalized with short anionic ligands attached to model biomembranes in amounts proportional to the number of bound cytochrome c molecules. In contrast, anionic polymer-wrapped gold nanoparticles appeared to remove cytochrome c from supported lipid bilayers in a manner inversely proportional to the strength of cytochrome c binding to the bilayer; this reflects the removal of a weakly bound pool of cytochrome c, as suggested by molecular dynamics simulations. These results highlight the importance of the surface chemistry of both the nanoparticle and the membrane in predicting nano-bio interactions.

Relating the multi-functionality of cytochrome c to membrane binding and structural conversion

Cytochrome c is known as an electron-carrying protein in the respiratory chain of mitochondria. Over the last 20 years, however, alternative functions of this very versatile protein have become the focus of research interests. Upon binding to anionic lipids such as cardiolipin, the protein acquires peroxidase activity. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that this requires a conformational change of the protein which involves partial unfolding of its tertiary structure. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of how cytochrome c interacts with cardiolipin-containing surfaces and how this affects its structure and function. In this context, we delineate partially conflicting results regarding the affinity of cytochrome c binding to cardiolipin-containing liposomes of different size and its influence on the structure of the protein and the morphology of the membrane.

Structural characterization of cardiolipin-driven activation of cytochrome c into a peroxidase and membrane perturbation

The interaction between cardiolipin (CL) and cytochrome c (cyt-c) results in a gain of function of peroxidase activity by cyt-c. Despite intensive research, disagreements on nature and molecular details of this interaction remain. In particular, it is still not known how the interaction triggers the onset of apoptosis. Enzymatic characterization of peroxidase activity has highlighted the need for a critical threshold concentration of CL, a finding of profound physiological relevance in vivo. Using solution NMR, fluorescence spectroscopy, and in silico modeling approaches we here confirm that full binding of cyt-c to the membrane requires a CL:cyt-c threshold ratio of 5:1. Among three binding sites, the simultaneous binding of two sites, at two opposing sides of the heme, provides a mechanism to open the heme crevice to substrates. This results in "productive binding" in which cyt-c then sequesters CL, inducing curvature in the membrane. Membrane perturbation along with lipid peroxidation, due to interactions of heme/CL acyl chains, initiates the next step in the apoptotic pathway of making the membrane leaky. The third CL binding site while allowing interaction with the membrane, does not cluster CL or induce subsequent events, making this interaction "unproductive".

Structural changes and picosecond to second dynamics of cytochrome c in interaction with nitric oxide in ferrous and ferric redox states

After dissociation NO rebinds to Cyt c in 10 ps whereas Met80 rebinds in 5 μs after NO release from Cyt c. A complete view of heme – NO dynamics within 12 orders of magnitude of time in Cyt c is presented.

Structural Changes and Proapoptotic Peroxidase Activity of Cardiolipin-Bound Mitochondrial Cytochrome c

The cellular process of intrinsic apoptosis relies on the peroxidation of mitochondrial lipids as a critical molecular signal. Lipid peroxidation is connected to increases in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, but there is also a required role for mitochondrial cytochrome c (cyt-c). In apoptotic mitochondria, cyt-c gains a new function as a lipid peroxidase that catalyzes the reactive oxygen species-mediated chemical modification of the mitochondrial lipid cardiolipin (CL). This peroxidase activity is caused by a conformational change in the protein, resulting from interactions between cyt-c and CL. The nature of the conformational change and how it causes this gain-of-function remain uncertain. Via a combination of functional, structural, and biophysical experiments we investigate the structure and peroxidase activity of cyt-c in its membrane-bound state. We reconstituted cyt-c with CL-containing lipid vesicles, and determined the increase in peroxidase activity resulting from membrane binding. We combined these assays of CL-induced proapoptotic activity with structural and dynamic studies of the membrane-bound protein via solid-state NMR and optical spectroscopy. Multidimensional magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR of uniformly (13)C,(15)N-labeled protein was used to detect site-specific conformational changes in oxidized and reduced horse heart cyt-c bound to CL-containing lipid bilayers. MAS NMR and Fourier transform infrared measurements show that the peripherally membrane-bound cyt-c experiences significant dynamics, but also retains most or all of its secondary structure. Moreover, in two-dimensional and three-dimensional MAS NMR spectra the CL-bound cyt-c displays a spectral resolution, and thus structural homogeneity, that is inconsistent with extensive membrane-induced unfolding. Cyt-c is found to interact primarily with the membrane interface, without significantly disrupting the lipid bilayer. Thus, membrane binding results in cyt-c gaining the increased peroxidase activity that represents its pivotal proapoptotic function, but we do not observe evidence for large-scale unfolding or penetration into the membrane core.

Mechanisms of nitrite bioactivation

It is now accepted that the anion nitrite, once considered an inert oxidation product of nitric oxide (NO), contributes to hypoxic vasodilation, physiological blood pressure control, and redox signaling. As such, its application in therapeutics is being actively tested in pre-clinical models and in human phase I-II clinical trials. Major pathways for nitrite bioactivation involve its reduction to NO by members of the hemoglobin or molybdopterin family of proteins, or catalyzed dysproportionation. These conversions occur preferentially under hypoxic and acidic conditions. A number of enzymatic systems reduce nitrite to NO and their activity and importance are defined by oxygen tension, specific organ system and allosteric and redox effectors. In this work, we review different proposed mechanisms of nitrite bioactivation, focusing on analysis of kinetics and experimental evidence for the relevance of each mechanism under different conditions.

Group VIA phospholipase A2 mitigates palmitate-induced β-cell mitochondrial injury and apoptosis

Palmitate (C16:0) induces apoptosis of insulin-secreting β-cells by processes that involve generation of reactive oxygen species, and chronically elevated blood long chain free fatty acid levels are thought to contribute to β-cell lipotoxicity and the development of diabetes mellitus. Group VIA phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β) affects β-cell sensitivity to apoptosis, and here we examined iPLA2β effects on events that occur in β-cells incubated with C16:0. Such events in INS-1 insulinoma cells were found to include activation of caspase-3, expression of stress response genes (C/EBP homologous protein and activating transcription factor 4), accumulation of ceramide, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and apoptosis. All of these responses were blunted in INS-1 cells that overexpress iPLA2β, which has been proposed to facilitate repair of oxidized mitochondrial phospholipids, e.g. cardiolipin (CL), by excising oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acid residues, e.g. linoleate (C18:2), to yield lysophospholipids, e.g. monolysocardiolipin (MLCL), that can be reacylated to regenerate the native phospholipid structures. Here the MLCL content of mouse pancreatic islets was found to rise with increasing iPLA2β expression, and recombinant iPLA2β hydrolyzed CL to MLCL and released oxygenated C18:2 residues from oxidized CL in preference to native C18:2. C16:0 induced accumulation of oxidized CL species and of the oxidized phospholipid (C18:0/hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid)-glycerophosphoethanolamine, and these effects were blunted in INS-1 cells that overexpress iPLA2β, consistent with iPLA2β-mediated removal of oxidized phospholipids. C16:0 also induced iPLA2β association with INS-1 cell mitochondria, consistent with a role in mitochondrial repair. These findings indicate that iPLA2β confers significant protection of β-cells against C16:0-induced injury.

Structural transformations of cytochrome c upon interaction with cardiolipin

Interactions of cytochrome c (cyt c) with cardiolipin (CL) play a critical role in early stages of apoptosis. Upon binding to CL, cyt c undergoes changes in secondary and tertiary structure that lead to a dramatic increase in its peroxidase activity. Insertion of the protein into membranes, insertion of CL acyl chains into the protein interior, and extensive unfolding of cyt c after adsorption to the membrane have been proposed as possible modes for interaction of cyt c with CL. Dissociation of Met80 is accompanied by opening of the heme crevice and binding of another heme ligand. Fluorescence studies have revealed conformational heterogeneity of the lipid-bound protein ensemble with distinct polypeptide conformations that vary in the degree of protein unfolding. We correlate these recent findings to other biophysical observations and rationalize the role of experimental conditions in defining conformational properties and peroxidase activity of the cyt c ensemble. Latest time-resolved studies propose the trigger and the sequence of cardiolipin-induced structural transitions of cyt c.

Characterization of a cyclic nucleotide-activated K(+) channel and its lipid environment by using solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Voltage-gated ion channels are large tetrameric multidomain membrane proteins that play crucial roles in various cellular transduction pathways. Because of their large size and domain-related mobility, structural characterization has proved challenging. We analyzed high-resolution solid-state NMR data on different isotope-labeled protein constructs of a bacterial cyclic nucleotide-activated K(+) channel (MlCNG) in lipid bilayers. We could identify the different subdomains of the 4×355 residue protein, such as the voltage-sensing domain and the cyclic nucleotide binding domain. Comparison to ssNMR data obtained on isotope-labeled cell membranes suggests a tight association of negatively charged lipids to the channel. We detected spectroscopic polymorphism that extends beyond the ligand binding site, and the corresponding protein segments have been associated with mutant channel types in eukaryotic systems. These findings illustrate the potential of ssNMR for structural investigations on large membrane-embedded proteins, even in the presence of local disorder.

Cardiolipin-mediated cellular signaling

This review focuses on recent studies showing that cardiolipin (CL), a unique mitochondrial phospholipid, regulates many cellular functions and signaling pathways, both inside and outside the mitochondria. Inside the mitochondria, CL is a critical target of mitochondrial generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and regulates signaling events related to apoptosis and aging. CL deficiency causes perturbation of signaling pathways outside the mitochondria, including the PKC-Slt2 cell integrity pathway and the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway, and is a key player in the cross-talk between the mitochondria and the vacuole. Understanding these connections may shed light on the pathology of Barth syndrome, a disorder of CL remodeling.

Conformational properties of cardiolipin-bound cytochrome c

Interactions of cytochrome c (cyt c) with cardiolipin (CL) are important for both electron transfer and apoptotic functions of this protein. A sluggish peroxidase in its native state, when bound to CL, cyt c catalyzes CL peroxidation, which contributes to the protein apoptotic release. The heterogeneous CL-bound cyt c ensemble is difficult to characterize with traditional structural methods and ensemble-averaged probes. We have employed time-resolved FRET measurements to evaluate structural properties of the CL-bound protein in four dansyl (Dns)-labeled variants of horse heart cyt c. The Dns decay curves and extracted Dns-to-heme distance distributions P(r) reveal a conformational diversity of the CL-bound cyt c ensemble with distinct populations of the polypeptide structures that vary in their degree of protein unfolding. A fraction of the ensemble is substantially unfolded, with Dns-to-heme distances resembling those in the guanidine hydrochloride-denatured state. These largely open cyt c structures likely dominate the peroxidase activity of the CL-bound cyt c ensemble. Site variations in P(r) distributions uncover structural features of the CL-bound cyt c, rationalize previous findings, and implicate the prime role of electrostatic interactions, particularly with the protein C terminus, in the CL-induced unfolding.

Methionine ligand lability in bacterial monoheme cytochromes c: an electrochemical study

The direct electrochemical analysis of adsorbed redox active proteins has proven to be a powerful technique in biophysical chemistry, frequently making use of the electrode material pyrolytic "edge-plane" graphite. However, many heme-bearing proteins such as cytochromes c have been also examined systematically at alkanethiol-modified gold surfaces, and previously we reported the characterization of the redox properties of a series of bacterial cytochromes c in a side-by-side comparison of carbon and gold electrode materials. In our prior findings, we reported an unanticipated, low potential (E(m) ∼ -100 mV vs SHE) redox couple that could be analogously observed when a variety of monoheme cytochromes c are adsorbed onto carbon-based electrodes. Here we demonstrate that our prior phenomological data can be understood quantitatively in the loss of the methionine ligand of the heme iron, using the cytochrome c from Hydrogenbacter thermophilum as a model system. Through the comparison of wild-type protein with M61H and M61A mutants, in direct electrochemical analyses conducted as a function of temperature and exogenous ligand concentration, we are able to show that Met-ligated cytochromes c have a propensity to lose their Met ligand at graphite surfaces, and that energetics of this process (6.3 ± 0.2 kJ/mol) is similar to the energies associated with "foldons" of known protein folding pathways.

The non-native conformations of cytochrome c in sodium dodecyl sulfate and their modulation by ATP

To understand the interaction of cytochrome c (cyt c) with membranes, a systematic investigation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-induced conformational alterations in native horse heart ferricytochrome c (pH 7.0) was carried out using heme absorbance, tryptophan fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. ATP interaction with membrane-bound cyt c is known to regulate the process of apoptosis. To understand the effect of nucleotide phosphates on membrane-bound cyt c, we also carried out studies of the interaction of ATP with cyt c in the presence of SDS. Fluorescence and UV-Vis data suggest that SDS induces two different transitions (F to C1, C1 to C2) in cyt c, one in the pre-micellar region and the other in the post-micellar region. The fluorescence data further indicated the increase in distance between Trp 59 and heme in the intermediates in both the regions, suggesting loosening up of cyt c on titration with SDS. The far-UV and near-UV CD data suggest partial loss of secondary and tertiary structure in C1, but complete loss of tertiary structure and no further loss of secondary structure in C2. On titration of C1 and C2 with ATP, the secondary structure is restored. However, the heme ligation pattern and heme exposure change only for C2, but not for C1 on the addition of ATP.

Assigning membrane binding geometry of cytochrome C by polarized light spectroscopy

In this work we demonstrate how polarized light absorption spectroscopy (linear dichroism (LD)) analysis of the peptide ultraviolet-visible spectrum of a membrane-associated protein (cytochrome (cyt) c) allows orientation and structure to be assessed with quite high accuracy in a native membrane environment that can be systematically varied with respect to lipid composition. Cyt c binds strongly to negatively charged lipid bilayers with a distinct orientation in which its alpha-helical segments are on average parallel to the membrane surface. Further information is provided by the LD of the pi-pi( *) transitions of the heme porphyrin and transitions of aromatic residues, mainly a single tryptophan. A good correlation with NMR data was found, and combining NMR structural data with LD angular data allowed the whole protein to be docked to the lipid membrane. When the redox state of cyt c was changed, distinct variations in the LD spectrum of the heme Soret band were seen corresponding to changes in electronic transition energies; however, no significant change in the overall protein orientation or structure was observed. Cyt c is known to interact in a specific manner with the doubly negatively charged lipid cardiolipin, and incorporation of this lipid into the membrane at physiologically relevant levels was indeed found to affect the protein orientation and its alpha-helical content. The detail in which cyt c binding is described in this study shows the potential of LD spectroscopy using shear-deformed lipid vesicles as a new methodology for exploring membrane protein structure and orientation.

Cytochrome c/cardiolipin relations in mitochondria: a kiss of death

Recently, phospholipid peroxidation products gained a reputation as key regulatory molecules and participants in oxidative signaling pathways. During apoptosis, a mitochondria-specific phospholipid, cardiolipin (CL), interacts with cytochrome c (cyt c) to form a peroxidase complex that catalyzes CL oxidation; this process plays a pivotal role in the mitochondrial stage of the execution of the cell death program. This review is focused on redox mechanisms and essential structural features of cyt c's conversion into a CL-specific peroxidase that represent an interesting and maybe still unique example of a functionally significant ligand change in hemoproteins. Furthermore, specific characteristics of CL in mitochondria--its asymmetric transmembrane distribution and mechanisms of collapse, the regulation of its synthesis, remodeling, and fatty acid composition--are given significant consideration. Finally, new concepts in drug discovery based on the design of mitochondria-targeted inhibitors of cyt c/CL peroxidase and CL peroxidation with antiapoptotic effects are presented.

Nitrite reductase activity of cytochrome c

Small increases in physiological nitrite concentrations have now been shown to mediate a number of biological responses, including hypoxic vasodilation, cytoprotection after ischemia/reperfusion, and regulation of gene and protein expression. Thus, while nitrite was until recently believed to be biologically inert, it is now recognized as a potentially important hypoxic signaling molecule and therapeutic agent. Nitrite mediates signaling through its reduction to nitric oxide, via reactions with several heme-containing proteins. In this report, we show for the first time that the mitochondrial electron carrier cytochrome c can also effectively reduce nitrite to NO. This nitrite reductase activity is highly regulated as it is dependent on pentacoordination of the heme iron in the protein and occurs under anoxic and acidic conditions. Further, we demonstrate that in the presence of nitrite, pentacoordinate cytochrome c generates bioavailable NO that is able to inhibit mitochondrial respiration. These data suggest an additional role for cytochrome c as a nitrite reductase that may play an important role in regulating mitochondrial function and contributing to hypoxic, redox, and apoptotic signaling within the cell.

Cardiolipin as an oxidative target in cardiac mitochondria in the aged rat

The aged heart sustains greater injury during ischemia (ISC) and reperfusion (REP) compared to the adult heart. In the Fischer 344 (F344) rat, aging decreases oxidative phosphorylation and complex III activity increasing the production of reactive oxygen species in interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM) located among the myofibrils. In the isolated, perfused 24 month old elderly F344 rat heart 25 min of stop-flow ISC causes additional damage to complex III, further decreasing the rate of oxidative phosphorylation. We did not observe further progressive mitochondrial damage during REP. We next asked if ISC or REP increased oxidative damage within mitochondria of the aged heart. Cardiolipin (CL) is a phospholipid unique to mitochondria consisting predominantly of four linoleic acid residues (C18:2). Following ISC and REP in the aged heart, there is a new CL species containing three oxygen atoms added to one linoleic residue. ISC alone was sufficient to generate this new oxidized molecular species of CL. Based upon oxidative damage to CL, complex III activity, and oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial damage thus occurs in the aged heart mainly during ISC, rather than during REP. Mitochondrial damage during ischemia sets the stage for mitochondrial-driven cardiomyocyte injury during reperfusion in the aged heart.

Unique backbone-water interaction detected in sphingomyelin bilayers with 1H/31P and 1H/13C HETCOR MAS NMR spectroscopy

Two-dimensional (1)H/(31)P dipolar heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is used to investigate the correlation of the lipid headgroup with various intra- and intermolecular proton environments. Cross-polarization NMR techniques involving (31)P have not been previously pursued to a great extent in lipid bilayers due to the long (1)H-(31)P distances and high degree of headgroup mobility that averages the dipolar coupling in the liquid crystalline phase. The results presented herein show that this approach is very promising and yields information not readily available with other experimental methods. Of particular interest is the detection of a unique lipid backbone-water intermolecular interaction in egg sphingomyelin (SM) that is not observed in lipids with glycerol backbones like phosphatidylcholines. This backbone-water interaction in SM is probed when a mixing period allowing magnetization exchange between different (1)H environments via the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) is included in the NMR pulse sequence. The molecular information provided by these (1)H/(31)P dipolar HETCOR experiments with NOE mixing differ from those previously obtained by conventional NOE spectroscopy and heteronuclear NOE spectroscopy NMR experiments. In addition, two-dimensional (1)H/(13)C INEPT HETCOR experiments with NOE mixing support the (1)H/(31)P dipolar HETCOR results and confirm the presence of a H(2)O environment that has nonvanishing dipolar interactions with the SM backbone.

Biological activity of hemoprotein nitrosyl complexes

Chemical and biological functions of hemoprotein nitrosyl complexes as well as their photolysis products are discussed in this review. Chemical properties of nitric oxide are discussed, and major chemical reactions such as interaction with thiols, free radicals, and transition metals are considered. Specific attention is paid to the generation of hemoprotein nitrosyl complexes. The mechanisms of nitric oxide reactions with hemoglobin and cytochrome c and physicochemical properties of their nitrosyl complexes are discussed. A review of photochemical reactions of nitrosyl complexes with various ligands is given. Finally, we observe physiological effects of visible radiation on hemoprotein nitrosyl complexes: smooth muscle relaxation and reactivation of mitochondrial respiration.

Quinol type compound in cytochrome c preparations leads to non-enzymatic reduction of cytochrome c during the measurement of complex III activity

Measurement of complex III activity is critical to the diagnosis of human mitochondrial disease and the study of mitochondrial pathobiology. Activity is measured as the maximal rate of antimycin A-sensitive reduction of exogenous cytochrome c by detergent-solubilized mitochondria. Complex III activity exhibited an unexpected variation based upon the commercial source of cytochrome c owing to an increase in the antimycin A-insensitive background reduction of cytochrome c and variable increases in total activity. Analysis of cytochrome c (producing a high-background) by fast protein liquid chromatography yielded a contaminant peak containing a lipid extractable component with redox spectra and mass spectroscopy fragmentation suggestive of a quinol. Measurement of inhibitor-sensitive rates are critical for the accurate and reproducible measurement of complex III activity and serve as a key quality control to screen for non-enzymatic reactions that obscure complex III activity.

Two-dimensional infrared correlation spectroscopy study of the interaction of oxidized and reduced cytochrome c with phospholipid model membranes

We have used two-dimensional infrared correlation spectroscopy (2D-IR) to study the interaction and conformation of cytochrome c in the presence of a binary phospholipid mixture composed of a zwitterionic perdeuterated phospholipid and a negatively-charged one. The influence of the main temperature phase transition of the phospholipid model membranes on the conformation of cytochrome c has been evaluated by monitoring both the Amide I' band of the protein and the CH(2) and CD(2) stretching bands of the phospholipids. Synchronous 2D-IR analysis has been used to determine the different secondary structure components of cytochrome c which are involved in the specific interaction with the phospholipids, revealing the existence of a specific interaction between the protein with cardiolipin-containing vesicles but not with phosphatidic acid-containing ones. Interestingly, 2D-IR is capable of showing the existence of significant changes in the protein conformation at the same time that the phospholipid transition occurs. In summary, 2D-IR revealed an important effect of the phospholipid phase transition of cardiolipin on the secondary structure of oxidized cytochrome c but not to either reduced cytochrome c or in the presence of phosphatidic acid, demonstrating the existence of specific intermolecular interactions between cardiolipin and cytochrome c.

Cardiolipin activates cytochrome c peroxidase activity since it facilitates H(2)O(2) access to heme

In this work, the effect of liposomes consisting of tetraoleyl cardiolipin and dioleyl phosphatidylcholine (1 : 1, mol/mol) on the rate of three more reactions of Cyt c heme with H2O2 was studied: (i) Cyt c (Fe2+) oxidation to Cyt c (Fe3+), (ii) Fe...S(Met80) bond breaking, and (iii) heme porphyrin ring decomposition. It was revealed that the rates of all those reactions increased greatly in the presence of liposomes containing cardiolipin and not of those consisting of only phosphatidylcholine, and approximately to the same extent as peroxidase activity. These data suggest that cardiolipin activates specifically Cyt c peroxidase activity not only because it promotes Fe...S(Met80) bond breaking but also facilitates H2O2 penetration to the reaction center.

Modulation of electron transport protects cardiac mitochondria and decreases myocardial injury during ischemia and reperfusion

Mitochondria are increasingly recognized as lynchpins in the evolution of cardiac injury during ischemia and reperfusion. This review addresses the emerging concept that modulation of mitochondrial respiration during and immediately following an episode of ischemia can attenuate the extent of myocardial injury. The blockade of electron transport and the partial uncoupling of respiration are two mechanisms whereby manipulation of mitochondrial metabolism during ischemia decreases cardiac injury. Although protection by inhibition of electron transport or uncoupling of respiration initially appears to be counterintuitive, the continuation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in the pathological milieu of ischemia generates reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial calcium overload, and the release of cytochrome c. The initial target of these deleterious mitochondrial-driven processes is the mitochondria themselves. Consequences to the cardiomyocyte, in turn, include oxidative damage, the onset of mitochondrial permeability transition, and activation of apoptotic cascades, all favoring cardiomyocyte death. Ischemia-induced mitochondrial damage carried forward into reperfusion further amplifies these mechanisms of mitochondrial-driven myocyte injury. Interruption of mitochondrial respiration during early reperfusion by pharmacologic blockade of electron transport or even recurrent hypoxia or brief ischemia paradoxically decreases cardiac injury. It increasingly appears that the cardioprotective paradigms of ischemic preconditioning and postconditioning utilize modulation of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as a key effector mechanism. The initially counterintuitive approach to inhibit mitochondrial respiration provides a new cardioprotective paradigm to decrease cellular injury during both ischemia and reperfusion.

Mechanism of activation of cytochrome c peroxidase activity by cardiolipin

In this work, the actions of bovine heart cardiolipin, synthetic tetraoleyl cardiolipin, and a nonspecific anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on cytochrome c (Cyt c) peroxidase activity recorded by chemiluminescence in the presence of luminol and on the Fe...S(Met80) bond whose presence was estimated by a weak absorption band amplitude with peak at 695-700 nm (A(695)) were compared. A strict concurrency between Fe...S(Met80) breaking (A(695)) and cytochrome peroxidase activity enhancement was shown to exist at cardiolipin/Cyt c and SDS/Cyt c molar ratios of 0 : 1 to 50 : 1 (by chemiluminescence). Nevertheless, when A(695) completely disappeared, Cyt c peroxidase activity under the action of cardiolipin was 20 times more than that under the action of SDS, and at low ligand/protein molar ratios (=4), SDS failed to activate peroxidase activity while cardiolipin enhanced Cyt c peroxidase activity 16-20-fold. A(695) did not change on Cyt c binding with liposomes consisting of tetraoleyl cardiolipin and phosphatidylcholine (1 : 10 : 10), while peroxidase activity was enhanced by a factor of 8. Breaking of 70% of the Fe...S(Met80) bonds resulted in only threefold enhancement of peroxidase activity. Cardiolipin-activated Cyt c peroxidase activity was reduced by high ionic strength solution (1 M KCl). The aggregated data suggest that cardiolipin activating action is caused, first, by a nonspecific effect of Fe...S(Met80) breaking as the result of conformational changes in the protein globule caused by the protein surface electrostatic recharging by an anionic amphiphilic molecule, and second, by a specific acceleration of the peroxidation reaction which is most likely due to enhanced heme accessibility for H(2)O(2) as a result of the hydrophobic interaction between cardiolipin and cytochrome.

Cardiolipin deficiency releases cytochrome c from the inner mitochondrial membrane and accelerates stimuli-elicited apoptosis

Cardiolipin (CL) is a mitochondria-specific phospholipid synthesized by CL synthase (CLS). We describe here a human gene for CLS and its analysis via RNAi knockdown on apoptotic progression. Although mitochondrial membrane potential is unchanged in cells containing only 25% of the normal amount of CL, free cytochrome c (cyt. c) is detected in the intermembrane space and the mitochondria exhibit signs of reorganized cristae. However, the release of cyt. c from the mitochondria still requires apoptotic stimulation. Increased sensitivity to apoptotic signals and accelerated rates of apoptosis are observed in CL-deficient cells, followed by elevated levels of secondary necrosis. Apoptosis is thought to progress via binding of truncated Bid (tBid) to mitochondrial CL, followed by CL oxidation which results in cyt. c release. The exaggerated and accelerated apoptosis observed in CL-deficient cells is matched by an accelerated reduction in membrane potential and increased cyt. c release, but not by decreased tBid binding. This study suggests that the CL/cyt. c relationship is important in apoptotic progression and that regulating CL oxidation or/and deacylation could represent a possible therapeutic target.

Distinguishing individual lipid headgroup mobility and phase transitions in raft-forming lipid mixtures with 31P MAS NMR

A model membrane system composed of egg sphingomyelin (SM), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), and cholesterol was studied with static and magic angle spinning (31)P NMR spectroscopy. This model membrane system is of significant biological relevance since it is known to form lipid rafts. (31)P NMR under magic angle spinning conditions resolves the SM and DOPC headgroup resonances allowing for extraction of the (31)P NMR parameters for the individual lipid components. The isotropic chemical shift, chemical shift anisotropy, and asymmetry parameter can be extracted from the spinning side band manifold of the individual components that form liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered domains. The magnitude of the (31)P chemical shift anisotropy and the line width is used to determine headgroup mobility and monitor the gel-to-gel and gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transitions of SM as a function of temperature in these mixtures. Spin-spin relaxation measurements are in agreement with the line width results, reflecting mobility differences and some heterogeneities. It will be shown that the presence of DOPC and/or cholesterol greatly impacts the headgroup mobility of SM both above and below the liquid crystalline phase transition temperature, whereas DOPC displays only minor variations in these lipid mixtures.

Phospholipid-dependent regulation of cytochrome c3-mediated electron transport across membranes

Cytochrome c3 (cyt c3) can mediate electron transport across phosphatidylcholine (PC)/cardiolipin (CL) and PC/phosphatidylglycerol (PG) membranes. A two-molecule process is involved in the electron transport across PC/CL membranes in the liquid-crystalline state. In contrast, a single-molecule process dominates the electron transport across PC/CL membranes in the gel state and PC/PG membranes in the liquid-crystalline and gel states. Namely, the electron transport mechanism differs with the phospholipid composition and membrane fluidity. The rate-limiting step of the two-molecule process was lateral diffusion of cyt c3 in membranes. The rate constants for the three single-molecule process cases were similar to each other. To elucidate these reaction processes, interactions between cyt c3 and phosphate groups and between cyt c3 and the glycerol backbones of phospholipid bilayers were investigated by means of 31P and 2H solid-state NMR, respectively, for CL and PC/CL membranes. The results showed that the polar headgroups of both phosphatidylcholine and CL are involved in the binding of cyt c3. Also, cyt c3 penetrates into membranes, which would induce distortion of the lipid bilayer. The molecular mechanisms underlying the single- and two-molecule processes are discussed in terms of membrane structure.

Blockade of Electron Transport during Ischemia Protects Cardiac Mitochondria

Subsarcolemmal mitochondria sustain progressive damage during myocardial ischemia. Ischemia decreases the content of the mitochondrial phospholipid cardiolipin accompanied by a decrease in cytochrome c content and a diminished rate of oxidation through cytochrome oxidase. We propose that during ischemia mitochondria produce reactive oxygen species at sites in the electron transport chain proximal to cytochrome oxidase that contribute to the ischemic damage. Isolated, perfused rabbit hearts were treated with rotenone, an irreversible inhibitor of complex I in the proximal electron transport chain, immediately before ischemia. Rotenone pretreatment preserved the contents of cardiolipin and cytochrome c measured after 45 min of ischemia. The rate of oxidation through cytochrome oxidase also was improved in rotenone-treated hearts. Inhibition of the electron transport chain during ischemia lessens damage to mitochondria. Rotenone treatment of isolated subsarcolemmal mitochondria decreased the production of reactive oxygen species during the oxidation of complex I substrates. Thus, the limitation of electron flow during ischemia preserves cardiolipin content, cytochrome c content, and the rate of oxidation through cytochrome oxidase. The mitochondrial electron transport chain contributes to ischemic mitochondrial damage that in turn augments myocyte injury during subsequent reperfusion.

Ischemia, rather than reperfusion, inhibits respiration through cytochrome oxidase in the isolated, perfused rabbit heart: role of cardiolipin

Ischemia and reperfusion result in mitochondrial dysfunction, with decreases in oxidative capacity, loss of cytochrome c, and generation of reactive oxygen species. During ischemia of the isolated perfused rabbit heart, subsarcolemmal mitochondria, located beneath the plasma membrane, sustain a loss of the phospholipid cardiolipin, with decreases in oxidative metabolism through cytochrome oxidase and the loss of cytochrome c. We asked whether additional injury to the distal electron chain involving cardiolipin with loss of cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase occurs during reperfusion. Reperfusion did not lead to additional damage in the distal electron transport chain. Oxidation through cytochrome oxidase and the content of cytochrome c did not further decrease during reperfusion. Thus injury to cardiolipin, cytochrome c, and cytochrome oxidase occurs during ischemia rather than during reperfusion. The ischemic injury leads to persistent defects in oxidative function during the early reperfusion period. The decrease in cardiolipin content accompanied by persistent decrements in the content of cytochrome c and oxidation through cytochrome oxidase is a potential mechanism of additional myocyte injury during reperfusion.

Nitrosylation of cytochrome c during apoptosis

Cytochrome c released from mitochondria into the cytoplasm plays a critical role in many forms of apoptosis by stimulating apoptosome formation and subsequent caspase activation. However, the mechanisms regulating cytochrome c apoptotic activity are not understood. Here we demonstrate that cytochrome c is nitrosylated on its heme iron during apoptosis. Nitrosylated cytochrome c is found predominantly in the cytoplasm in control cells. In contrast, when cytochrome c release from mitochondria is inhibited by overexpression of the anti-apoptotic proteins B cell lymphoma/leukemia (Bcl)-2 or Bcl-X(L), nitrosylated cytochrome c is found in the mitochondria. These data suggest that during apoptosis, cytochrome c is nitrosylated in mitochondria and then rapidly released into the cytoplasm in the absence of Bcl-2 or Bcl-X(L) overexpression. In vitro nitrosylation of cytochrome c increases caspase-3 activation in cell lysates. Moreover, the inhibition of intracellular cytochrome c nitrosylation is associated with a decrease in apoptosis, suggesting that cytochrome c nitrosylation is a proapoptotic modification. We conclude that nitrosylation of the heme iron of cytochrome c may be a novel mechanism of apoptosis regulation.

Redox properties of cytochrome c

The redox properties of cytochromes (cyt) c, a ubiquitous class of heme-containing electron transport proteins, have been extensively investigated over the last two decades. The reduction potential (E degrees') is central to the chemistry of cyt c for two main reasons. First, E degrees' influences both the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the electron exchange reaction with redox partners. Second, this thermodynamic parameter is remarkably sensitive to changes in the properties of the heme and the protein matrix, and hence can be profitably used for the investigation of the solution chemistry of cyt c. This research area owes much to the exploitation of voltammetric techniques for the determination of E degrees' for metalloproteins, which dates back to the late 1970s. Since then, much effort has been devoted to the comprehension of the molecular factors that control E degrees' in cyt c, which include first coordination sphere effects on the heme iron, the interactions of the heme group with the surrounding polypeptide chain and the solvent, and also include medium effects related to the nature and ionic composition of the solvent, pH, the presence of potential protein ligands, and the temperature. This article provides an overview of the most significant advances made in this field recently.

Structural analysis of the protein/lipid complexes associated with pore formation by the bacterial toxin pneumolysin

Pneumolysin, a major virulence factor of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, is a soluble protein that disrupts cholesterol-containing membranes of cells by forming ring-shaped oligomers. Magic angle spinning and wideline static (31)P NMR have been used in combination with freeze-fracture electron microscopy to investigate the effect of pneumolysin on fully hydrated model membranes containing cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine and dicetyl phosphate (10:10:1 molar ratio). NMR spectra show that the interaction of pneumolysin with cholesterol-containing liposomes results in the formation of a nonbilayer phospholipid phase and vesicle aggregation. The amount of the nonbilayer phase increases with increasing protein concentration. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy indicates the coexistence of aggregated vesicles and free ring-shaped structures in the presence of pneumolysin. On the basis of their size and analysis of the NMR spectra it is concluded that the rings are pneumolysin oligomers (containing 30-50 monomers) complexed with lipid (each with 840-1400 lipids). The lifetime of the phospholipid in either bilayer-associated complexes or free pneumolysin-lipid complexes is > 15 ms. It is further concluded that the effect of pneumolysin on lipid membranes is a complex combination of pore formation within the bilayer, extraction of lipid into free oligomeric complexes, aggregation and fusion of liposomes, and the destabilization of membranes leading to formation of small vesicles.

Structural investigations of pneumolysin/lipid complexes

Pneumolysin, a virulence factor from the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, is a water-soluble protein which forms ring-shaped oligomeric structures upon binding to cholesterol-containing lipid membranes. It induces vesicle aggregation, membrane pore formation and withdrawal of lipid material into non-bilayer proteolipid complexes. Solid-state magic angle spinning and wideline static NMR, together with freeze-fracture electron microscopy, are used to characterize the phase changes in fully hydrated cholesterol-containing lipid membranes induced by the addition of pneumolysin. A structural model for the proteolipid complexes is proposed where a 30-50-meric pneumolysin ring lines the inside of a lipid torus. Cholesterol is found to be essential to the fusogenic action of pneumolysin.

Interaction of horse heart cytochrome c with lipid bilayer membranes: effects on redox potentials

Cyclic voltammetry has been used to study the effects of interactions between horse cytochrome c and solid-supported planar lipid membranes, comprised of either egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) or PC plus 20 mol.% cardiolipin (CL), on the redox potential and the electrochemical electron transfer rate between the protein and a semiconductor electrode. Experiments were performed over a wide range of cytochrome c concentrations (0-440 microM) at low (20 mM) and medium (160 mM) ionic strengths. Three types of electrochemical behavior were observed, which varied as a function of the experimental conditions. At very low cytochrome c concentration (approximately 0.1 microM), and under conditions where electrostatic forces dominated the protein-lipid membrane interaction (i.e., low ionic strength with membranes containing CL), a redox potential (approximately 265 mV) and an electrochemical electron transfer rate constant (0.09 s[-1])were obtained which compare well with those measured in other laboratories using a variety of different chemical modifications of the working electrode. Two other electrochemical signals (not reported with chemically modified electrodes) were also observed to occur at higher cytochrome c concentrations with this membrane system, as well as with two other systems (membranes containing CL under medium ionic strength conditions, and PC only at low ionic strength). These involved positive shifts of the cytochrome c redox potential (by 40 and 60 mV) and large decreases in the electron transfer rate (to 0.03 and 0.003 s[-1]). The observations can be rationalized in terms of a structural model of the cytochrome c-membrane interaction, in which association involves both electrostatic and hydrophobic forces and results in varying degrees of insertion of the protein into the hydrophobic interior of the membrane.

Phospholipid headgroup dynamics in DOPG-d5-cytochrome c complexes as revealed by 2H and 31P NMR: the effects of a peripheral protein on collective lipid fluctuations

The dynamics of the glycerol headgroup of dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) in hydrated bilayers were studied by 2H and 31P NMR spectroscopy, and the effects of binding a peripheral protein, cytochrome c, were evaluated. The fast headgroup segmental motions (tau c, 10(-10)-(-13) s) of DOPG in fully hydrated bilayers were not affected upon binding of cytochrome c, as evaluated by the spin-lattice (T1) relaxation of deuterons in the DOPG glycerol headgroup. In contrast, the spin-spin (T2e) relaxation is strongly affected, indicating that slow cooperative bilayer motions (tau c, 10(-3)-10(-6) s) are enhanced upon the interaction with cytochrome c, 2H and 31P NMR spectral lineshape analysis reveal details of the nature of these motions. The importance of these effects are discussed in terms of a possible mechanism for modulating membrane-associated processes.