ATP-citrate lyase and other enzymes of acetyl-CoA metabolism in fractions of small and large synaptosomes from rat brain hippocampus and cerebellum

Mitochondrial Mutations Can Alter Neuromuscular Transmission in Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome and Mitochondrial Disease

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are a group of rare, neuromuscular disorders that usually present in childhood or infancy. While the phenotypic presentation of these disorders is diverse, the unifying feature is a pathomechanism that disrupts neuromuscular transmission. Recently, two mitochondrial genes-SLC25A1 and TEFM-have been reported in patients with suspected CMS, prompting a discussion about the role of mitochondria at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Mitochondrial disease and CMS can present with similar symptoms, and potentially one in four patients with mitochondrial myopathy exhibit NMJ defects. This review highlights research indicating the prominent roles of mitochondria at both the pre- and postsynapse, demonstrating the potential for mitochondrial involvement in neuromuscular transmission defects. We propose the establishment of a novel subcategorization for CMS-mitochondrial CMS, due to unifying clinical features and the potential for mitochondrial defects to impede transmission at the pre- and postsynapse. Finally, we highlight the potential of targeting the neuromuscular transmission in mitochondrial disease to improve patient outcomes.

The Regulatory Effects of Acetyl-CoA Distribution in the Healthy and Diseased Brain

Brain neurons, to support their neurotransmitter functions, require a several times higher supply of glucose than non-excitable cells. Pyruvate, the end product of glycolysis, through pyruvate dehydrogenase complex reaction, is a principal source of acetyl-CoA, which is a direct energy substrate in all brain cells. Several neurodegenerative conditions result in the inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase and decrease of acetyl-CoA synthesis in mitochondria. This attenuates metabolic flux through TCA in the mitochondria, yielding energy deficits and inhibition of diverse synthetic acetylation reactions in all neuronal sub-compartments. The acetyl-CoA concentrations in neuronal mitochondrial and cytoplasmic compartments are in the range of 10 and 7 μmol/L, respectively. They appear to be from 2 to 20 times lower than acetyl-CoA Km values for carnitine acetyltransferase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, aspartate acetyltransferase, choline acetyltransferase, sphingosine kinase 1 acetyltransferase, acetyl-CoA hydrolase, and acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, respectively. Therefore, alterations in acetyl-CoA levels alone may significantly change the rates of metabolic fluxes through multiple acetylation reactions in brain cells in different physiologic and pathologic conditions. Such substrate-dependent alterations in cytoplasmic, endoplasmic reticulum or nuclear acetylations may directly affect ACh synthesis, protein acetylations, and gene expression. Thereby, acetyl-CoA may regulate the functional and adaptative properties of neuronal and non-neuronal brain cells. The excitotoxicity-evoked intracellular zinc excess hits several intracellular targets, yielding the collapse of energy balance and impairment of the functional and structural integrity of postsynaptic cholinergic neurons. Acute disruption of brain energy homeostasis activates slow accumulation of amyloid-β_1-42 (Aβ). Extra and intracellular oligomeric deposits of Aβ affect diverse transporting and signaling pathways in neuronal cells. It may combine with multiple neurotoxic signals, aggravating their detrimental effects on neuronal cells. This review presents evidences that changes of intraneuronal levels and compartmentation of acetyl-CoA may contribute significantly to neurotoxic pathomechanisms of different neurodegenerative brain disorders.

Early and Late Pathomechanisms in Alzheimer's Disease: From Zinc to Amyloid-β Neurotoxicity

There are several systemic and intracerebral pathologic conditions, which limit provision and utilization of energy precursor metabolites in neuronal cells. Energy deficits cause excessive depolarization of neuronal cells triggering glutamate-zinc evoked excitotoxic cascade. The intracellular zinc excess hits several intraneuronal targets yielding collapse of energy balance and impairment functional and structural impairments cholinergic neurons. Disturbances in metabolism of acetyl-CoA, which is a direct precursor for energy, acetylcholine, N-acetyl-L-aspartate and acetylated proteins synthesis, play an important role in these pathomechanisms. Disruption of brain homeostasis activates slow accumulation of amyloid-β 1-42 , which extra and intracellular oligomeric deposits disrupt diverse transporting and signaling processes in all membrane structures of the cell. Both neurotoxic signals may combine aggravating detrimental effects on neuronal cell. Different neuroglial and neuronal cell types may display differential susceptibility to similar pathogenic insults depending on specific features of their energy and functional parameters. This review, basing on findings gained from cellular and animal models of Alzheimer's disease, discusses putative energy/acetyl-CoA dependent mechanism in early and late stages of neurodegeneration.

Energy metabolism of synaptosomal subpopulations from different neuronal systems of rat hippocampus: effect of L-acetylcarnitine administration in vivo

The maximum rate (Vmax) of some enzyme activities related to glycolysis, Krebs' cycle, acetylcholine catabolism and amino acid metabolism were evaluated in different types of synaptosomes obtained from rat hippocampus. The enzyme characterization was performed on two synaptosomal populations defined as "large" and "small" synaptosomes, supposed to originate mainly from the granule cell glutamatergic mossy fiber endings and small cholinergic nerve endings mainly arising from septohippocampal fiber synapses, involved with cognitive processes. Thus, this is an unique model of pharmacological significance to study the selective action of drugs on energy metabolism of hippocampus and the sub-chronic i.p. treatment with L-acetylcarnitine at two different dose levels (30 and 60 mg x kg(-1), 5 day a week, for 4 weeks) was performed. In control animals, the results indicate that these two hippocampal synaptosomal populations differ for the potential catalytic activities of enzymes of the main metabolic pathways related to energy metabolism. This energetic micro-heterogeneity may cause their different behaviour during both physiopathological events and pharmacological treatment, because of different sensitivity of neurons. Therefore, the micro-heterogeneity of brain synaptosomes must be considered when the effect of a pharmacological treatment is to be evaluated. In fact, the in vivo administration of L-acetylcarnitine affects some specific enzyme activities, suggesting a specific molecular trigger mode of action on citrate synthase (Krebs' cycle) and glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (glutamate metabolism), but mainly of "small" synaptosomal populations, suggesting a specific synaptic trigger site of action. These observations on various types of hippocampal synaptosomes confirm their different metabolic machinery and their different sensitivity to pharmacological treatment.

Acetylcholine and central respiratory control: perturbations of acetylcholine synthesis in the isolated brainstem of the neonatal rat

The brainstem neurochemical processes which support spontaneous ventilation are not known. Cholinergic transmission may play an important role. If this is true, perturbations in acetylcholine (ACh) turnover should alter ventilatory output in a predictable manner. Using the isolated superfused brainstem-spinal axis from the neonatal rat, the effects of modifiers of ACh synthesis on spontaneous C-4 (phrenic) output were determined. 3-Bromopyruvate and hydroxycitrate, inhibitors of acetyl-CoA (substrate for ACh synthesis) formation, caused depression of the C-4 output in a dose-dependent manner when added to the superfusate. Triethylcholine, a false-transmitter generating choline analog, caused a similar depression. Citrate, a cytosolic precursor to acetyl-CoA formation, caused stimulation of C-4 (phrenic) output. The stimulatory effects of citrate were blocked by the muscarinic cholinergic blocker, atropine. These findings are consistent with the view that the ACh synthetic pathway provides a continuous and important input to the normal brainstem elements that support ventilation.

Parkinson-like disease by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) toxicity in Macaca fascicularis: synaptosomal metabolism and action of dihydroergocriptine

The maximal rates (Vmax) of some enzyme activities related to synaptosomal energy metabolism were studied in different types of synaptosomes from cerebellar cortex of Macaca Fascicularis (Cynomolgus monkey). Different synaptosomal populations, namely "large" and "small" synaptosomes, were isolated from the anterior lobule of the cerebellar cortex of monkeys treated p.o. with dihydroergocriptine at the dose of 12 mg/kg/day before and during the induction of a Parkinson's-like syndrome by MPTP administration (i.v., 0.3 mg/kg/day for 5 days). The enzymes were chosen according to their regulatory role and as markers of the following metabolic pathways: (a) glycolysis ((hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, lactate dehydrogenase), (b) Krebs' (TCA) cycle (citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase), (c) amino acid, glutamate metabolism (glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamate-pyruvate- and glutamate-oxaloacetate-transaminases), (d) acetylcholine catabolism (acetylcholinesterase) and (e) ATPases, i.e. Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Mg(2+)-ATP synthetase, Mg(2+)-ATPase, Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-ATPase Low and High affinity for Ca2+. The MPTP administration modified the activities of citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, acetylcholinesterase and glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase only on selected types of synaptosomes. Pharmacological treatment by dihydroergocriptine was able to recovery at the steady-state levels the activities of these enzymes, thus demonstrating a partial protective effect on these biochemical parameters.

A critique on the preparation and enzymatic characterization of synaptic and nonsynaptic mitochondria from hippocampus

1. In literature two interesting methods are described to obtain from whole pooled brains or areas three types of mitochondria, namely, those of perikaryal origin and those contained in synaptosomes. 2. However, for many types of studies, such "preparative" preparations are not useful; for example, in pharmacological studies only data from a single n number of animals may be of statistical usefulness and may be correctly analyzed by statistical tests. 3. Thus a method is described by which it was possible to characterize by enzyme activities three populations from single rat brain hippocampus. 4. During preparative "analytical" procedure, it was noted that the 10% Ficoll gradients previously used in the literature were unable to separate purified mitochondria-free mitochondria. This gradient should be 12% Ficoll for single areas. 5. In addition, when results are compared using the more appropriate omega 2t for calculations of gravity forces to be applied instead of the maximum or average g for different rotors, enzymatic characterization differed considerably among the various mitochondrial populations. 6. The above considerations are also true when different pestle clearances and/or pestle rotations speeds are used during omogenizations; also lysis conditions are essential. 7. Results showed that selected experimental conditions are to be used when subcellular fractions are to be analyzed biochemically.

Interruption of cholinergic afferent pathways to the amygdala failed to alter electrical kindling

We investigated the hypothesis that the cholinergic system is involved in the process of amygdala kindling. Electrical kindling of the amygdala was associated with an increase in the concentration of acetylcholine in the kindled amygdala and the ipsilateral hippocampus but was not associated with any alteration of choline acetyltransferase activity. Destruction of cholinergic neurons in the lateral preoptic area significantly decreased the activity of choline acetylase in the ipsilateral amygdala, but had no effect on the duration of time to kindling. We interpret these findings as indicating that the cholinergic system is affected by the kindling process, but does not seem to be crucial to the phenomenon.