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Jiang S, Yuan T, Rosenberger FA, Mourier A, Dragano NRV, Kremer LS, Rubalcava-Gracia D, Hansen FM, Borg M, Mennuni M, Filograna R, Alsina D, Misic J, Koolmeister C, Papadea P, de Angelis MH, Ren L, Andersson O, Unger A, Bergbrede T, Di Lucrezia R, Wibom R, Zierath JR, Krook A, Giavalisco P, Mann M, Larsson NG. Inhibition of mammalian mtDNA transcription acts paradoxically to reverse diet-induced hepatosteatosis and obesity. Nat Metab 2024:10.1038/s42255-024-01038-3. [PMID: 38689023 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-024-01038-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The oxidative phosphorylation system1 in mammalian mitochondria plays a key role in transducing energy from ingested nutrients2. Mitochondrial metabolism is dynamic and can be reprogrammed to support both catabolic and anabolic reactions, depending on physiological demands or disease states. Rewiring of mitochondrial metabolism is intricately linked to metabolic diseases and promotes tumour growth3-5. Here, we demonstrate that oral treatment with an inhibitor of mitochondrial transcription (IMT)6 shifts whole-animal metabolism towards fatty acid oxidation, which, in turn, leads to rapid normalization of body weight, reversal of hepatosteatosis and restoration of normal glucose tolerance in male mice on a high-fat diet. Paradoxically, the IMT treatment causes a severe reduction of oxidative phosphorylation capacity concomitant with marked upregulation of fatty acid oxidation in the liver, as determined by proteomics and metabolomics analyses. The IMT treatment leads to a marked reduction of complex I, the main dehydrogenase feeding electrons into the ubiquinone (Q) pool, whereas the levels of electron transfer flavoprotein dehydrogenase and other dehydrogenases connected to the Q pool are increased. This rewiring of metabolism caused by reduced mtDNA expression in the liver provides a principle for drug treatment of obesity and obesity-related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Jiang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Taolin Yuan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Florian A Rosenberger
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Arnaud Mourier
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires (IGBC) UMR, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nathalia R V Dragano
- Institute of Experimental Genetics - German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Oberschleißheim-Neuherberg, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Laura S Kremer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Diana Rubalcava-Gracia
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fynn M Hansen
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Melissa Borg
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section for Integrative Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mara Mennuni
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roberta Filograna
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Alsina
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jelena Misic
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Camilla Koolmeister
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Polyxeni Papadea
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Hrabe de Angelis
- Institute of Experimental Genetics - German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Oberschleißheim-Neuherberg, Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Experimental Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Lipeng Ren
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olov Andersson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anke Unger
- Lead Discovery Center, Dortmund, Germany
| | | | | | - Rolf Wibom
- Centre for Inherited Metabolic Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Juleen R Zierath
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section for Integrative Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Section for Integrative Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Krook
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section for Integrative Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrick Giavalisco
- Metabolomics Core Facility, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Nils-Göran Larsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Nieto-Panqueva F, Rubalcava-Gracia D, Hamel PP, González-Halphen D. The constraints of allotopic expression. Mitochondrion 2023; 73:30-50. [PMID: 37739243 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Allotopic expression is the functional transfer of an organellar gene to the nucleus, followed by synthesis of the gene product in the cytosol and import into the appropriate organellar sub compartment. Here, we focus on mitochondrial genes encoding OXPHOS subunits that were naturally transferred to the nucleus, and critically review experimental evidence that claim their allotopic expression. We emphasize aspects that may have been overlooked before, i.e., when modifying a mitochondrial gene for allotopic expression━besides adapting the codon usage and including sequences encoding mitochondrial targeting signals━three additional constraints should be considered: (i) the average apparent free energy of membrane insertion (μΔGapp) of the transmembrane stretches (TMS) in proteins earmarked for the inner mitochondrial membrane, (ii) the final, functional topology attained by each membrane-bound OXPHOS subunit; and (iii) the defined mechanism by which the protein translocator TIM23 sorts cytosol-synthesized precursors. The mechanistic constraints imposed by TIM23 dictate the operation of two pathways through which alpha-helices in TMS are sorted, that eventually determine the final topology of membrane proteins. We used the biological hydrophobicity scale to assign an average apparent free energy of membrane insertion (μΔGapp) and a "traffic light" color code to all TMS of OXPHOS membrane proteins, thereby predicting which are more likely to be internalized into mitochondria if allotopically produced. We propose that the design of proteins for allotopic expression must make allowance for μΔGapp maximization of highly hydrophobic TMS in polypeptides whose corresponding genes have not been transferred to the nucleus in some organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Nieto-Panqueva
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Diana Rubalcava-Gracia
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico; Division of Molecular Metabolism, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrice P Hamel
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), School of BioScience and Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Diego González-Halphen
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Rubalcava-Gracia D, García-Villegas R, Larsson NG. No role for nuclear transcription regulators in mammalian mitochondria? Mol Cell 2023; 83:832-842. [PMID: 36182692 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Although the mammalian mtDNA transcription machinery is simple and resembles bacteriophage systems, there are many reports that nuclear transcription regulators, as exemplified by MEF2D, MOF, PGC-1α, and hormone receptors, are imported into mammalian mitochondria and directly interact with the mtDNA transcription machinery. However, the supporting experimental evidence for this concept is open to alternate interpretations, and a main issue is the difficulty in distinguishing indirect regulation of mtDNA transcription, caused by altered nuclear gene expression, from direct intramitochondrial effects. We provide a critical discussion and experimental guidelines to stringently assess roles of intramitochondrial factors implicated in direct regulation of mammalian mtDNA transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Rubalcava-Gracia
- Division of Molecular Metabolism, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rodolfo García-Villegas
- Division of Molecular Metabolism, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nils-Göran Larsson
- Division of Molecular Metabolism, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Kremer LS, Bozhilova LV, Rubalcava-Gracia D, Filograna R, Upadhyay M, Koolmeister C, Chinnery PF, Larsson NG. A role for BCL2L13 and autophagy in germline purifying selection of mtDNA. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010573. [PMID: 36608143 PMCID: PMC9851501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited uniparentally through the female germline without undergoing recombination. This poses a major problem as deleterious mtDNA mutations must be eliminated to avoid a mutational meltdown over generations. At least two mechanisms that can decrease the mutation load during maternal transmission are operational: a stochastic bottleneck for mtDNA transmission from mother to child, and a directed purifying selection against transmission of deleterious mtDNA mutations. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling these processes remain unknown. In this study, we systematically tested whether decreased autophagy contributes to purifying selection by crossing the C5024T mouse model harbouring a single pathogenic heteroplasmic mutation in the tRNAAla gene of the mtDNA with different autophagy-deficient mouse models, including knockouts of Parkin, Bcl2l13, Ulk1, and Ulk2. Our study reveals a statistically robust effect of knockout of Bcl2l13 on the selection process, and weaker evidence for the effect of Ulk1 and potentially Ulk2, while no statistically significant impact is seen for knockout of Parkin. This points at distinctive roles of these players in germline purifying selection. Overall, our approach provides a framework for investigating the roles of other important factors involved in the enigmatic process of purifying selection and guides further investigations for the role of BCL2L13 in the elimination of non-synonymous mutations in protein-coding genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S. Kremer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lyuba V. Bozhilova
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Rubalcava-Gracia
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roberta Filograna
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mamta Upadhyay
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Camilla Koolmeister
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrick F. Chinnery
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (PFC); (N-GL)
| | - Nils-Göran Larsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail: (PFC); (N-GL)
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Rubalcava-Gracia D, García-Rincón J, Pérez-Montfort R, Hamel PP, González-Halphen D. Key within-membrane residues and precursor dosage impact the allotopic expression of yeast subunit II of cytochrome c oxidase. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 30:2358-2366. [PMID: 31318312 PMCID: PMC6741066 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-12-0788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimentally relocating mitochondrial genes to the nucleus for functional expression (allotopic expression) is a challenging process. The high hydrophobicity of mitochondria-encoded proteins seems to be one of the main factors preventing this allotopic expression. We focused on subunit II of cytochrome c oxidase (Cox2) to study which modifications may enable or improve its allotopic expression in yeast. Cox2 can be imported from the cytosol into mitochondria in the presence of the W56R substitution, which decreases the protein hydrophobicity and allows partial respiratory rescue of a cox2-null strain. We show that the inclusion of a positive charge is more favorable than substitutions that only decrease the hydrophobicity. We also searched for other determinants enabling allotopic expression in yeast by examining the COX2 gene in organisms where it was transferred to the nucleus during evolution. We found that naturally occurring variations at within-membrane residues in the legume Glycine max Cox2 could enable yeast COX2 allotopic expression. We also evidence that directing high doses of allotopically synthesized Cox2 to mitochondria seems to be counterproductive because the subunit aggregates at the mitochondrial surface. Our findings are relevant to the design of allotopic expression strategies and contribute to the understanding of gene retention in organellar genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Rubalcava-Gracia
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Juan García-Rincón
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Ruy Pérez-Montfort
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Patrice Paul Hamel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Diego González-Halphen
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
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Rubalcava-Gracia D, Vázquez-Acevedo M, Funes S, Pérez-Martínez X, González-Halphen D. Mitochondrial versus nuclear gene expression and membrane protein assembly: the case of subunit 2 of yeast cytochrome c oxidase. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:820-833. [PMID: 29437907 PMCID: PMC5905295 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-09-0560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletion of the yeast mitochondrial gene COX2, encoding subunit 2 (mtCox2) of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO), results in a respiratory-incompetent Δcox2 strain. For a cytosol-synthesized Cox2 to restore respiratory growth, it must carry the W56R mutation (cCox2W56R). Nevertheless, only a fraction of cCox2W56R is matured in mitochondria, allowing ∼60% steady-state accumulation of CcO. This can be attributed either to the point mutation or to an inefficient biogenesis of cCox2W56R. We generated a strain expressing the mutant protein mtCox2W56R inside mitochondria which should follow the canonical biogenesis of mitochondria-encoded Cox2. This strain exhibited growth rates, CcO steady-state levels, and CcO activity similar to those of the wild type; therefore, the efficiency of Cox2 biogenesis is the limiting step for successful allotopic expression. Upon coexpression of cCox2W56R and mtCox2, each protein assembled into CcO independently from its genetic origin, resulting in a mixed population of CcO with most complexes containing the mtCox2 version. Notably, the presence of the mtCox2 enhances cCox2W56R incorporation. We provide proof of principle that an allotopically expressed Cox2 may complement a phenotype due to a mutant mitochondrial COX2 gene. These results are relevant to developing a rational design of genes for allotopic expression intended to treat human mitochondrial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Rubalcava-Gracia
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad México, D. F., Mexico
| | - Miriam Vázquez-Acevedo
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad México, D. F., Mexico
| | - Soledad Funes
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad México, D. F., Mexico
| | - Xochitl Pérez-Martínez
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad México, D. F., Mexico
| | - Diego González-Halphen
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad México, D. F., Mexico
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Vázquez-Acevedo M, Rubalcava-Gracia D, González-Halphen D. In vitro import and assembly of the nucleus-encoded mitochondrial subunit III of cytochrome c oxidase (Cox3). Mitochondrion 2014; 19 Pt B:314-22. [PMID: 24561572 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2014.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The cox3 gene, encoding subunit III of cytochrome c oxidase (Cox3) is in mitochondrial genomes except in chlorophycean algae, where it is localized in the nucleus. Therefore, algae like Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Polytomella sp. and Volvox carteri, synthesize the Cox3 polypeptide in the cytosol, import it into mitochondria, and integrate it into the cytochrome c oxidase complex. In this work, we followed the in vitro internalization of the Cox3 precursor by isolated, import-competent mitochondria of Polytomella sp. In this colorless alga, the precursor Cox3 protein is synthesized with a long, cleavable, N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS) of 98 residues. In an import time course, a transient Cox3 intermediate was identified, suggesting that the long MTS is processed more than once. The first processing step is sensitive to the metalo-protease inhibitor 1,10-ortophenantroline, suggesting that it is probably carried out by the matrix-located Mitochondrial Processing Protease. Cox3 is readily imported through an energy-dependent import pathway and integrated into the inner mitochondrial membrane, becoming resistant to carbonate extraction. Furthermore, the imported Cox3 protein was assembled into cytochrome c oxidase, as judged by the presence of a labeled band co-migrating with complex IV in Blue Native Electrophoresis. A model for the biogenesis of Cox3 in chlorophycean algae is proposed. This is the first time that the in vitro mitochondrial import of a cytosol-synthesized Cox3 subunit is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Vázquez-Acevedo
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-243, México 04510, D.F., Mexico
| | - Diana Rubalcava-Gracia
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-243, México 04510, D.F., Mexico
| | - Diego González-Halphen
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-243, México 04510, D.F., Mexico.
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