bims-mibica 2021-07-04 papers

bims-mibica

Biomed News

on Mitochondrial bioenergetics in cancer

Issue of 2021‒07‒04
28 papers selected by
Kelsey Fisher-Wellman
East Carolina University

Melatonin inhibits lung cancer development by reversing the Warburg effect via stimulating the SIRT3/PDH axis.
Mitochondrial O-GlcNAc Transferase Interacts with and Modifies Many Proteins and Its Up-Regulation Affects Mitochondrial Function and Cellular Energy Homeostasis.
STING1 Promotes Ferroptosis Through MFN1/2-Dependent Mitochondrial Fusion.
Resistance to different anthracycline chemotherapeutics elicits distinct and actionable primary metabolic dependencies in breast cancer.
Mitochondria-targeted hydroxyurea inhibits OXPHOS and induces antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects.
VDAC1 Silencing in Cancer Cells Leads to Metabolic Reprogramming That Modulates Tumor Microenvironment.
Mitochondrial Function Are Disturbed in the Presence of the Anticancer Drug, 3-Bromopyruvate.
TAT-Conjugated NDUFS8 Can Be Transduced into Mitochondria in a Membrane-Potential-Independent Manner and Rescue Complex I Deficiency.
A novel mitochondrial Kv1.3-caveolin axis controls cell survival and apoptosis.
Synchronous effects of targeted mitochondrial complex I inhibitors on tumor and immune cells abrogate melanoma progression.
Lactate dehydrogenases amplify reactive oxygen species in cancer cells in response to oxidative stimuli.
Modulation of mitochondrial nucleoid structure during aging and by mtDNA content in Drosophila.
The Mystery of Extramitochondrial Proteins Lysine Succinylation.
Structure and Mechanism of Respiratory III-IV Supercomplexes in Bioenergetic Membranes.
Endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria coupling increases during doxycycline-induced mitochondrial stress in HeLa cells.
Coenzyme Q10 Phytosome Formulation Improves CoQ10 Bioavailability and Mitochondrial Functionality in Cultured Cells.
Increased levels of mitochondrial import factor Mia40 prevent the aggregation of polyQ proteins in the cytosol.
Pathogenetic and Prognostic Implications of Increased Mitochondrial Content in Multiple Myeloma.
Atovaquone at clinically relevant concentration overcomes chemoresistance in ovarian cancer via inhibiting mitochondrial respiration.
Revealing molecular pathways for cancer cell fitness through a genetic screen of the cancer translatome.
Loss of Nnt Increases Expression of Oxidative Phosphorylation Complexes in C57BL/6J Hearts.
FATTY ACID SYNTHESIS IS REQUIRED FOR BREAST CANCER BRAIN METASTASIS.
The mitochondrial single-stranded DNA binding protein is essential for initiation of mtDNA replication.
Mitochondrial Protein Abundance Gradients Require the Distribution of Separated Mitochondria.
Structural and Energetic Affinity of Annocatacin B with ND1 Subunit of the Human Mitochondrial Respiratory Complex I as a Potential Inhibitor: An In Silico Comparison Study with the Known Inhibitor Rotenone.
NAD+-Precursor Supplementation With L-Tryptophan, Nicotinic Acid, and Nicotinamide Does Not Affect Mitochondrial Function or Skeletal Muscle Function in Physically Compromised Older Adults.
De novo deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis regulates cell growth and tumor progression in small-cell lung carcinoma.
Quantitative flux analysis in mammals.

J Pineal Res. 2021 Jul 02. e12755

Melatonin inhibits lung cancer development by reversing the Warburg effect via stimulating the SIRT3/PDH axis.

Xiangyun Chen, Bingjie Hao, Dan Li, Russel J Reiter, Yidong Bai, Baigenzhin Abay, Guojie Chen, Shumeng Lin, Tiansheng Zheng, Yanbei Ren, Xiao Xu, Ming Li, Lihong Fan.

  Recently, the morbidity and mortality from lung cancer have continued to increase. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in apoptosis, proliferation and the bioenergetic reprogramming of cancer cells, especially for energy metabolism. Herein, we investigated the ability of melatonin (MLT) to influence lung cancer growth and explored the association between mitochondrial function and the progression of lung tumors. The deacetylase, sirtuin 3 (Sirt3), is a pivotal player in maintenance of mitochondrial function; among participating in ATP production by regulating the acetylone and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH). We initially found that MLT inhibited lung cancer growth in the Lewis mouse model. Similarly, we observed that MLT inhibited the proliferation of lung cancer cells (A549, PC9 and LLC cells), and the underlying mechanism of MLT was related to reprogramming cancer cell metabolism, accompanied by a shift from cytosolic aerobic glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). These changes were accompanied by higher ATP production, an elevated ATP production-coupled oxygen consumption rate (QCR), higher ROS levels, higher mito-ROS levels and lower lactic acid secretion. Additionally, we observed that MLT improved mitochondrial membrane potential and the activities of complexes Ⅰ and Ⅳ of the electron transport chain. Importantly, we also found and verified that the foregoing changes resulted from activation of Sirt3 and PDH. As a result of these changes, MLT significantly enhanced mitochondrial energy metabolism to reverse the Warburg effect via increasing PDH activity via stimulation of Sirt3. Collectively, these findings suggest the potential use of melatonin as an anti-lung cancer therapy and provide a mechanistic basis for this proposal.

Keywords:  Lung cancer; Warburg effect; melatonin; mitochondria; oxidative phosphorylation; pyruvate dehydrogenase complex; sirtuin 3

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12755
Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jun 12. pii: 2956. [Epub ahead of print]13(12):

Mitochondrial O-GlcNAc Transferase Interacts with and Modifies Many Proteins and Its Up-Regulation Affects Mitochondrial Function and Cellular Energy Homeostasis.

Paweł Jóźwiak, Piotr Ciesielski, Piotr K Zakrzewski, Karolina Kozal, Joanna Oracz, Grażyna Budryn, Dorota Żyżelewicz, Stéphanie Flament, Anne-Sophie Vercoutter-Edouart, Fabrice Bray, Tony Lefebvre, Anna Krześlak.

  O-GlcNAcylation is a cell glucose sensor. The addition of O-GlcNAc moieties to target protein is catalyzed by the O-Linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT). OGT is encoded by a single gene that yields differentially spliced OGT isoforms. One of them is targeted to mitochondria (mOGT). Although the impact of O-GlcNAcylation on cancer cells biology is well documented, mOGT's role remains poorly investigated. We performed studies using breast cancer cells with up-regulated mOGT or its catalytic inactive mutant to identify proteins specifically modified by mOGT. Proteomic approaches included isolation of mOGT protein partners and O-GlcNAcylated proteins from mitochondria-enriched fraction followed by their analysis by mass spectrometry. Moreover, we analyzed the impact of mOGT dysregulation on mitochondrial activity and cellular metabolism using a variety of biochemical assays. We found that mitochondrial OGT expression is glucose-dependent. Elevated mOGT expression affected the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and increased intramitochondrial ROS generation. Moreover, mOGT up-regulation caused a decrease in cellular ATP level. We identified many mitochondrial proteins as mOGT substrates. Most of these proteins are localized in the mitochondrial matrix and the inner mitochondrial membrane and participate in mitochondrial respiration, fatty acid metabolism, transport, translation, apoptosis, and mtDNA processes. Our findings suggest that mOGT interacts with and modifies many mitochondrial proteins, and its dysregulation affects cellular bioenergetics and mitochondria function.

Keywords:  O-GlcNAc; breast cancer; energy metabolism; glucose; mOGT; mitochondria

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13122956
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 ;9 698679

STING1 Promotes Ferroptosis Through MFN1/2-Dependent Mitochondrial Fusion.

Changfeng Li, Jiao Liu, Wen Hou, Rui Kang, Daolin Tang.

  Ferroptosis is a type of iron-dependent regulated cell death caused by the disruption that occurs when oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses interact, and then driven by lipid peroxidation and subsequent plasma membrane ruptures. The regulation of ferroptosis involves many factors, including the crosstalk between subcellular organelles, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), lysosomes, lipid droplets, and peroxisomes. Here, we show that the ER protein STING1 (also known as STING or TMEM173) promotes ferroptosis in human pancreatic cancer cell lines by increasing MFN1/2-dependent mitochondrial fusion, but not mitophagy-mediated mitochondrial removal. The classic ferroptosis inducer erastin, but not sulfasalazine, induces the accumulation of STING1 in the mitochondria, where it binds to MFN1/2 to trigger mitochondrial fusion, leading to subsequent reactive oxygen species production and lipid peroxidation. Consequently, in vitro or xenograft mouse models show that the genetic depletion of STING1 or MFN1/2 (but not the mitophagy regulator PINK1 or PRKN) reduces the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to ferroptosis. These findings not only establish a new mitochondrial fusion-dependent cell death mechanism, but also indicate a potential strategy for enhancing ferroptosis-based therapy.

Keywords:  MFN1/2; STING1; dynamic; ferroptosis; mitochondria

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.698679
Elife. 2021 Jun 28. pii: e65150. [Epub ahead of print]10

Resistance to different anthracycline chemotherapeutics elicits distinct and actionable primary metabolic dependencies in breast cancer.

Shawn McGuirk, Yannick Audet-Delage, Matthew G Annis, Yibo Xue, Mathieu Vernier, Kaiqiong Zhao, Catherine St-Louis, Lucía Minarrieta, David A Patten, Geneviève Morin, Celia Mt Greenwood, Vincent Giguère, Sidong Huang, Peter M Siegel, Julie St-Pierre.

  Chemotherapy resistance is a critical barrier in cancer treatment. Metabolic adaptations have been shown to fuel therapy resistance; however, little is known regarding the generality of these changes and whether specific therapies elicit unique metabolic alterations. Using a combination of metabolomics, transcriptomics, and functional genomics, we show that two anthracyclines, doxorubicin and epirubicin, elicit distinct primary metabolic vulnerabilities in human breast cancer cells. Doxorubicin-resistant cells rely on glutamine to drive oxidative phosphorylation and de novo glutathione synthesis, while epirubicin-resistant cells display markedly increased bioenergetic capacity and mitochondrial ATP production. The dependence on these distinct metabolic adaptations is revealed by the increased sensitivity of doxorubicin-resistant cells and tumor xenografts to buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a drug that interferes with glutathione synthesis, compared with epirubicin-resistant counterparts that are more sensitive to the biguanide phenformin. Overall, our work reveals that metabolic adaptations can vary with therapeutics and that these metabolic dependencies can be exploited as a targeted approach to treat chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer.

Keywords:  PGC-1; anthracyclines; bioenergetics; breast cancer; cancer biology; human; metabolomics; mouse; therapeutic resistance

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.65150
iScience. 2021 Jun 25. 24(6): 102673

Mitochondria-targeted hydroxyurea inhibits OXPHOS and induces antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects.

Gang Cheng, Micael Hardy, Paytsar Topchyan, Ryan Zander, Peter Volberding, Weiguo Cui, Balaraman Kalyanaraman.

  Hydroxyurea (HU), an FDA-approved drug for treating sickle cell disease, is used as an antitumor drug alone and together with conventional chemotherapeutics or radiation therapy. HU is used primarily to treat myeloproliferative diseases because it inhibits the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase involved in DNA synthesis. The hydroxyl group in HU is considered critical for its antiproliferative and chemotherapeutic effects. Here, we substituted the hydroxyl group in HU with a triphenylphosphonium cation attached to an alkyl group with different chain lengths, forming a new class of mitochondria-targeted HU (Mito-HU). Elongating the alkyl side chain length increased the hydrophobicity of Mito-HUs, inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, and antiproliferative effects in tumor cells. Both mitochondrial complex I- and complex III-induced oxygen consumption decreased with the increasing hydrophobicity of Mito-HUs. The more hydrophobic Mito-HUs also potently inhibited the monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells and suppressive neutrophils, and stimulated T cell response, implicating their potential antitumor immunomodulatory mechanism.

Keywords:  Biological sciences; Drugs; Immunology; Organic chemistry

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102673
Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jun 07. pii: 2850. [Epub ahead of print]13(11):

VDAC1 Silencing in Cancer Cells Leads to Metabolic Reprogramming That Modulates Tumor Microenvironment.

Erez Zerbib, Tasleem Arif, Anna Shteinfer-Kuzmine, Vered Chalifa-Caspi, Varda Shoshan-Barmatz.

  The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in cell growth, proliferation, migration, immunity, malignant transformation, and apoptosis. Thus, better insight into tumor-host interactions is required. Most of these processes involve the metabolic reprogramming of cells. Here, we focused on this reprogramming in cancerous cells and its effect on the TME. A major limitation in the study of tumor-host interactions is the difficulty in separating cancerous from non-cancerous signaling pathways within a tumor. Our strategy involved specifically silencing the expression of VDAC1 in the mitochondria of human-derived A549 lung cancer xenografts in mice, but not in the mouse-derived cells of the TME. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis allows distinguishing the human or mouse origin of genes, thus enabling the separation of the bidirectional cross-talk between the TME and malignant cells. We demonstrate that depleting VDAC1 in cancer cells led to metabolic reprogramming, tumor regression, and the disruption of tumor-host interactions. This was reflected in the altered expression of a battery of genes associated with TME, including those involved in extracellular matrix organization and structure, matrix-related peptidases, angiogenesis, intercellular interacting proteins, integrins, and growth factors associated with stromal activities. We show that metabolic rewiring upon mitochondrial VDAC1 silencing in cancer cells affected several components of the TME, such as structural protein matrix metalloproteinases and Lox, and elicited a stromal response resembling the reaction to a foreign body in wound healing. As tumor progression requires a cooperative interplay between the host and cancer cells, and the ECM is intensively remodeled during cancer progression, VDAC1 depletion induced metabolic reprogramming that targeted both tumor cells and resulted in the alteration of the whole spectrum of TME-related genes, affecting the reciprocal feedback between ECM molecules, host cells, and cancer cells. Thus, VDAC1 depletion using si-VDAC1 represents therapeutic potential, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and also inducing the modulation of TME components, which influences cancer progression, migration, and invasion.

Keywords:  VDAC1; metabolism; mitochondria; reprogramming; siRNA; tumor microenvironment

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13112850
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun 21. pii: 6640. [Epub ahead of print]22(12):

Mitochondrial Function Are Disturbed in the Presence of the Anticancer Drug, 3-Bromopyruvate.

Magdalena Cal, Irwin Matyjaszczyk, Karolina Filik, Rafał Ogórek, Young Ko, Stanisław Ułaszewski.

  3-bromopuryvate (3-BP) is a compound with unique antitumor activity. It has a selective action against tumor cells that exhibit the Warburg effect. It has been proven that the action of 3-BP is pleiotropic: it acts on proteins, glycolytic enzymes, reduces the amount of ATP, induces the formation of ROS (reactive oxygen species), and induces nuclear DNA damage. Mitochondria are important organelles for the proper functioning of the cell. The production of cellular energy (ATP), the proper functioning of the respiratory chain, or participation in the production of amino acids are one of the many functions of mitochondria. Here, for the first time, we show on the yeast model that 3-BP acts in the eukaryotic cell also by influence on mitochondria and that agents inhibiting mitochondrial function can potentially be used in cancer therapy with 3-BP. We show that cells with functional mitochondria are more resistant to 3-BP than rho0 cells. Using an MTT assay (a colorimetric assay for assessing cell metabolic activity), we demonstrated that 3-BP decreased mitochondrial activity in yeast in a dose-dependent manner. 3-BP induces mitochondrial-dependent ROS generation which results in ∆sod2, ∆por1, or ∆gpx1 mutant sensitivity to 3-BP. Probably due to ROS mtDNA lesions rise during 3-BP treatment. Our findings may have a significant impact on the therapy with 3-BP.

Keywords:  3-bromopyruvate; mitochondria; mtDNA damage; oxidative stress; superoxide generation; yeast

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22126640
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun 17. pii: 6524. [Epub ahead of print]22(12):

TAT-Conjugated NDUFS8 Can Be Transduced into Mitochondria in a Membrane-Potential-Independent Manner and Rescue Complex I Deficiency.

Bo-Yu Lin, Gui-Teng Zheng, Kai-Wen Teng, Juan-Yu Chang, Chao-Chang Lee, Pin-Chao Liao, Mou-Chieh Kao.

  NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) Fe-S protein 8 (NDUFS8) is a nuclear-encoded core subunit of human mitochondrial complex I. Defects in NDUFS8 are associated with Leigh syndrome and encephalomyopathy. Cell-penetrating peptide derived from the HIV-1 transactivator of transcription protein (TAT) has been successfully applied as a carrier to bring fusion proteins into cells without compromising the biological function of the cargoes. In this study, we developed a TAT-mediated protein transduction system to rescue complex I deficiency caused by NDUFS8 defects. Two fusion proteins (TAT-NDUFS8 and NDUFS8-TAT) were exogenously expressed and purified from Escherichia coli for transduction of human cells. In addition, similar constructs were generated and used in transfection studies for comparison. The results showed that both exogenous TAT-NDUFS8 and NDUFS8-TAT were delivered into mitochondria and correctly processed. Interestingly, the mitochondrial import of TAT-containing NDUFS8 was independent of mitochondrial membrane potential. Treatment with TAT-NDUFS8 not only significantly improved the assembly of complex I in an NDUFS8-deficient cell line, but also partially rescued complex I functions both in the in-gel activity assay and the oxygen consumption assay. Our current findings suggest the considerable potential of applying the TAT-mediated protein transduction system for treatment of complex I deficiency.

Keywords:  HIV-1 transactivator of transcription peptide (TAT); NDUFS8; complex I; enzyme replacement therapy; mitochondria; mitochondrial membrane potential; mitochondrial targeting sequence; protein transduction domain

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22126524
Elife. 2021 Jul 01. pii: e69099. [Epub ahead of print]10

A novel mitochondrial Kv1.3-caveolin axis controls cell survival and apoptosis.

Jesusa Capera, Mireia Pérez-Verdaguer, Roberta Peruzzo, María Navarro-Pérez, Juan Martínez-Pinna, Armando Alberola-Die, Andrés Morales, Luigi Leanza, Ildiko Szabó, Antonio Felipe.

  The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3 plays an apparent dual physiological role by participating in activation and proliferation of leukocytes as well as promoting apoptosis in several types of tumor cells. Therefore, Kv1.3 is considered a potential pharmacological target for immunodeficiency and cancer. Different cellular locations of Kv1.3, at the plasma membrane or the mitochondria, could be responsible for such duality. While plasma membrane Kv1.3 facilitates proliferation, the mitochondrial channel modulates apoptotic signaling. Several molecular determinants of Kv1.3 drive the channel to the cell surface, but no information is available about its mitochondrial targeting. Caveolins, which are able to modulate cell survival, participate in the plasma membrane targeting of Kv1.3. The channel, via a caveolin-binding domain (CDB), associates with caveolin 1 (Cav1), which localizes Kv1.3 to lipid raft membrane microdomains. The aim of our study was to understand the role of such interactions not only for channel targeting but also for cell survival in mammalian cells. By using a caveolin association-deficient channel (Kv1.3 CDBless), we demonstrate here that while the Kv1.3-Cav1 interaction is responsible for the channel localization in the plasma membrane, a lack of such interaction accumulates Kv1.3 in the mitochondria. Kv1.3 CDBless severely affects mitochondrial physiology and cell survival, indicating that a functional link of Kv1.3 with Cav1 within the mitochondria modulates the pro-apoptotic effects of the channel. Therefore, the balance exerted by these two complementary mechanisms fine-tune the physiological role of Kv1.3 during cell survival or apoptosis. Our data highlight an unexpected role for the mitochondrial caveolin-Kv1.3 axis during cell survival and apoptosis.

Keywords:  apoptosis; cancer biology; cell biology; human; ion channels; leukocytes; mouse; xenopus

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.69099
iScience. 2021 Jun 25. 24(6): 102653

Synchronous effects of targeted mitochondrial complex I inhibitors on tumor and immune cells abrogate melanoma progression.

Mahmoud AbuEid, Donna M McAllister, Laura McOlash, Megan Cleland Harwig, Gang Cheng, Donovan Drouillard, Kathleen A Boyle, Micael Hardy, Jacek Zielonka, Bryon D Johnson, R Blake Hill, Balaraman Kalyanaraman, Michael B Dwinell.

  Metabolic heterogeneity within the tumor microenvironment promotes cancer cell growth and immune suppression. We determined the impact of mitochondria-targeted complex I inhibitors (Mito-CI) in melanoma. Mito-CI decreased mitochondria complex I oxygen consumption, Akt-FOXO signaling, blocked cell cycle progression, melanoma cell proliferation and tumor progression in an immune competent model system. Immune depletion revealed roles for T cells in the antitumor effects of Mito-CI. While Mito-CI preferentially accumulated within and halted tumor cell proliferation, it also elevated infiltration of activated effector T cells and decreased myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) as well as tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) in melanoma tumors in vivo. Anti-proliferative doses of Mito-CI inhibited differentiation, viability, and the suppressive function of bone marrow-derived MDSC and increased proliferation-independent activation of T cells. These data indicate that targeted inhibition of complex I has synchronous effects that cumulatively inhibits melanoma growth and promotes immune remodeling.

Keywords:  Cancer; Cell biology; Components of the immune system

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102653
Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2021 Jun 28. 6(1): 242

Lactate dehydrogenases amplify reactive oxygen species in cancer cells in response to oxidative stimuli.

Hao Wu, Yuqi Wang, Minfeng Ying, Chengmeng Jin, Jiangtao Li, Xun Hu.

Previous studies demonstrated that superoxide could initiate and amplify LDH-catalyzed hydrogen peroxide production in aqueous phase, but its physiological relevance is unknown. Here we showed that LDHA and LDHB both exhibited hydrogen peroxide-producing activity, which was significantly enhanced by the superoxide generated from the isolated mitochondria from HeLa cells and patients' cholangiocarcinoma specimen. After LDHA or LDHB were knocked out, hydrogen peroxide produced by Hela or 4T1 cancer cells were significantly reduced. Re-expression of LDHA in LDHA-knockout HeLa cells partially restored hydrogen peroxide production. In HeLa and 4T1 cells, LDHA or LDHB knockout or LDH inhibitor FX11 significantly decreased ROS induction by modulators of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain (antimycin, oligomycin, rotenone), hypoxia, and pharmacological ROS inducers piperlogumine (PL) and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). Moreover, the tumors formed by LDHA or LDHB knockout HeLa or 4T1 cells exhibited a significantly less oxidative state than those formed by control cells. Collectively, we provide a mechanistic understanding of a link between LDH and cellular hydrogen peroxide production or oxidative stress in cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-021-00595-3
Biol Open. 2021 Jun 15. pii: bio058553. [Epub ahead of print]10(6):

Modulation of mitochondrial nucleoid structure during aging and by mtDNA content in Drosophila.

Li-Jie Wang, Tian Hsu, Hsiang-Ling Lin, Chi-Yu Fu.

  Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes gene products that are essential for oxidative phosphorylation. They organize as higher order nucleoid structures (mtNucleoids) that were shown to be critical for the maintenance of mtDNA stability and integrity. While mtNucleoid structures are associated with cellular health, how they change in situ under physiological maturation and aging requires further investigation. In this study, we investigated the mtNucleoid assembly at an ultrastructural level in situ using the TFAM-Apex2 Drosophila model. We found that smaller and more compact TFAM-nucleoids are populated in the mitochondria of indirect flight muscle of aged flies. Furthermore, mtDNA transcription and replication were cross-regulated in the mtTFB2-knockdown flies as in the mtRNAPol-knockdown flies that resulted in reductions in mtDNA copy numbers and nucleoid-associated TFAM. Overall, our study reveals that the modulation of TFAM-nucleoid structure under physiological aging, which is critically regulated by mtDNA content.

Keywords:  Mitochondrial DNA; Mitochondrial RNA polymerase (mtRNAPol); Mitochondrial nucleoid; Mitochondrial transcription factor B2 (mtTFB2); Transcription factor A (TFAM)

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.058553
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun 04. pii: 6085. [Epub ahead of print]22(11):

The Mystery of Extramitochondrial Proteins Lysine Succinylation.

Christos Chinopoulos.

  Lysine succinylation is a post-translational modification which alters protein function in both physiological and pathological processes. Mindful that it requires succinyl-CoA, a metabolite formed within the mitochondrial matrix that cannot permeate the inner mitochondrial membrane, the question arises as to how there can be succinylation of proteins outside mitochondria. The present mini-review examines pathways participating in peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation that lead to succinyl-CoA production, potentially supporting succinylation of extramitochondrial proteins. Furthermore, the influence of the mitochondrial status on cytosolic NAD+ availability affecting the activity of cytosolic SIRT5 iso1 and iso4-in turn regulating cytosolic protein lysine succinylations-is presented. Finally, the discovery that glia in the adult human brain lack subunits of both alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex and succinate-CoA ligase-thus being unable to produce succinyl-CoA in the matrix-and yet exhibit robust pancellular lysine succinylation, is highlighted.

Keywords:  fatty acid oxidation; ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex; lysine; peroxisomes; post-translational modification; succinyl-CoA

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22116085
Chem Rev. 2021 Jun 29.

Structure and Mechanism of Respiratory III-IV Supercomplexes in Bioenergetic Membranes.

Peter Brzezinski, Agnes Moe, Pia Ädelroth.

In the final steps of energy conservation in aerobic organisms, free energy from electron transfer through the respiratory chain is transduced into a proton electrochemical gradient across a membrane. In mitochondria and many bacteria, reduction of the dioxygen electron acceptor is catalyzed by cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV), which receives electrons from cytochrome bc1 (complex III), via membrane-bound or water-soluble cytochrome c. These complexes function independently, but in many organisms they associate to form supercomplexes. Here, we review the structural features and the functional significance of the nonobligate III2IV1/2 Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial supercomplex as well as the obligate III2IV2 supercomplex from actinobacteria. The analysis is centered around the Q-cycle of complex III, proton uptake by CytcO, as well as mechanistic and structural solutions to the electronic link between complexes III and IV.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00140
Cell Death Dis. 2021 Jun 28. 12(7): 657

Endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria coupling increases during doxycycline-induced mitochondrial stress in HeLa cells.

Camila Lopez-Crisosto, Alexis Díaz-Vegas, Pablo F Castro, Beverly A Rothermel, Roberto Bravo-Sagua, Sergio Lavandero.

Subcellular organelles communicate with each other to regulate function and coordinate responses to changing cellular conditions. The physical-functional coupling of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with mitochondria allows for the direct transfer of Ca2+ between organelles and is an important avenue for rapidly increasing mitochondrial metabolic activity. As such, increasing ER-mitochondrial coupling can boost the generation of ATP that is needed to restore homeostasis in the face of cellular stress. The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR) is activated by the accumulation of unfolded proteins in mitochondria. Retrograde signaling from mitochondria to the nucleus promotes mtUPR transcriptional responses aimed at restoring protein homeostasis. It is currently unknown whether the changes in mitochondrial-ER coupling also play a role during mtUPR stress. We hypothesized that mitochondrial stress favors an expansion of functional contacts between mitochondria and ER, thereby increasing mitochondrial metabolism as part of a protective response. Hela cells were treated with doxycycline, an antibiotic that inhibits the translation of mitochondrial-encoded proteins to create protein disequilibrium. Treatment with doxycycline decreased the abundance of mitochondrial encoded proteins while increasing expression of CHOP, C/EBPβ, ClpP, and mtHsp60, markers of the mtUPR. There was no change in either mitophagic activity or cell viability. Furthermore, ER UPR was not activated, suggesting focused activation of the mtUPR. Within 2 h of doxycycline treatment, there was a significant increase in physical contacts between mitochondria and ER that was distributed throughout the cell, along with an increase in the kinetics of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. This was followed by the rise in the rate of oxygen consumption at 4 h, indicating a boost in mitochondrial metabolic activity. In conclusion, an early phase of the response to doxycycline-induced mitochondrial stress is an increase in mitochondrial-ER coupling that potentiates mitochondrial metabolic activity as a means to support subsequent steps in the mtUPR pathway and sustain cellular adaptation.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-03945-9
Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Jun 07. pii: 927. [Epub ahead of print]10(6):

Coenzyme Q10 Phytosome Formulation Improves CoQ10 Bioavailability and Mitochondrial Functionality in Cultured Cells.

Nicola Rizzardi, Irene Liparulo, Giorgia Antonelli, Francesca Orsini, Antonella Riva, Christian Bergamini, Romana Fato.

  Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a lipid-soluble molecule with a dual role: it transfers electrons in the mitochondrial transport chain by promoting the transmembrane potential exploited by the ATPase to synthesize ATP and, in its reduced form, is a membrane antioxidant. Since the high CoQ10 hydrophobicity hinders its bioavailability, several formulations have been developed to facilitate its cellular uptake. In this work, we studied the bioenergetic and antioxidant effects in I407 and H9c2 cells of a CoQ10 phytosome formulation (UBIQSOME®, UBQ). We investigated the cellular and mitochondrial content of CoQ10 and its redox state after incubation with UBQ. We studied different bioenergetic parameters, such as oxygen consumption, ATP content and mitochondrial potential. Moreover, we evaluated the effects of CoQ10 incubation on oxidative stress, membrane lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis and highlighted the connection between the intracellular concentration of CoQ10 and its antioxidant potency. Finally, we focused on the cellular mechanism that regulates UBQ internalization. We showed that the cell lines used in this work share the same uptake mechanism for UBQ, although the intestinal cell line was less efficient. Given the limitations of an in vitro model, the latter result supports that intestinal absorption is a critical step for the oral administration of Coenzyme Q10 formulations.

Keywords:  ATP; Coenzyme Q10; Ubiqsome®; antioxidant; ferroptosis; mitochondria; phytosome

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10060927
EMBO J. 2021 Jun 30. e107913

Increased levels of mitochondrial import factor Mia40 prevent the aggregation of polyQ proteins in the cytosol.

Anna M Schlagowski, Katharina Knöringer, Sandrine Morlot, Ana Sánchez Vicente, Tamara Flohr, Lena Krämer, Felix Boos, Nabeel Khalid, Sheraz Ahmed, Jana Schramm, Lena M Murschall, Per Haberkant, Frank Stein, Jan Riemer, Benedikt Westermann, Ralf J Braun, Konstanze F Winklhofer, Gilles Charvin, Johannes M Herrmann.

  The formation of protein aggregates is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. Observations on patient samples and model systems demonstrated links between aggregate formation and declining mitochondrial functionality, but causalities remain unclear. We used Saccharomyces cerevisiae to analyze how mitochondrial processes regulate the behavior of aggregation-prone polyQ protein derived from human huntingtin. Expression of Q97-GFP rapidly led to insoluble cytosolic aggregates and cell death. Although aggregation impaired mitochondrial respiration only slightly, it considerably interfered with the import of mitochondrial precursor proteins. Mutants in the import component Mia40 were hypersensitive to Q97-GFP, whereas Mia40 overexpression strongly suppressed the formation of toxic Q97-GFP aggregates both in yeast and in human cells. Based on these observations, we propose that the post-translational import of mitochondrial precursor proteins into mitochondria competes with aggregation-prone cytosolic proteins for chaperones and proteasome capacity. Mia40 regulates this competition as it has a rate-limiting role in mitochondrial protein import. Therefore, Mia40 is a dynamic regulator in mitochondrial biogenesis that can be exploited to stabilize cytosolic proteostasis.

Keywords:  Mia40; huntingtin; mitochondria; protein aggregation; protein translocation

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2021107913
Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jun 25. pii: 3189. [Epub ahead of print]13(13):

Pathogenetic and Prognostic Implications of Increased Mitochondrial Content in Multiple Myeloma.

Yanira Ruiz-Heredia, Alejandra Ortiz-Ruiz, Mehmet K Samur, Vanesa Garrido, Laura Rufian, Ricardo Sanchez, Pedro Aguilar-Garrido, Santiago Barrio, Miguel A Martín, Niccolò Bolli, Yu-Tzu Tai, Raphaël Szalat, Mariateresa Fulciniti, Nikhil Munshi, Joaquín Martínez-López, María Linares, Miguel Gallardo.

  Many studies over the last 20 years have investigated the role of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) alterations in carcinogenesis. However, the status of the mtDNACN in MM and its implication in the pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear. We examined changes in plasma cell mtDNACN across different stages of MM by applying RT-PCR and high-throughput sequencing analysis. We observed a significant increase in the average mtDNACN in myeloma cells compared with healthy plasma cells (157 vs. 40 copies; p = 0.02). We also found an increase in mtDNACN in SMM and newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) paired samples and in consecutive relapses in the same patient. Survival analysis revealed the negative impact of a high mtDNACN in progression-free survival in NDMM (p = 0.005). Additionally, we confirmed the higher expression of mitochondrial biogenesis regulator genes in myeloma cells than in healthy plasma cells and we detected single nucleotide variants in several genes involved in mtDNA replication. Finally, we found that there was molecular similarity between "rapidly-progressing SMM" and MM regarding mtDNACN. Our data provide evidence that malignant transformation of myeloma cells involves the activation of mitochondrial biogenesis, resulting in increased mtDNA levels, and highlights vulnerabilities and potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of MM. Accordingly, mtDNACN tracking might guide clinical decision-making and management of complex entities such as high-risk SMM.

Keywords:  NGS; mitochondria DNA copy number; multiple myeloma; smoldering MM

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13133189
Pathol Res Pract. 2021 Jun 19. pii: S0344-0338(21)00190-4. [Epub ahead of print]224 153529

Atovaquone at clinically relevant concentration overcomes chemoresistance in ovarian cancer via inhibiting mitochondrial respiration.

Yue Guo, Bo Hu, Bingbing Fu, Hongyan Zhu.

  The poor outcomes in ovarian cancer necessitate new treatments. Strategies to interfere with oxidative phosphorylation have been recently highlighted for the treatment of ovarian tumors. Atovaquone, an approved antimicrobial drug, has demonstrated anti-cancer potential and ability in disrupting mitochondrial function. Here, we investigated the efficacy of atovaquone as single drug and its combination with cisplatin in ovarian cancer. We show that atovaquone at clinically achievable concentrations is active against ovarian cancer bulky and stem-cell like cells via inhibiting growth and colony formation, and inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis. In contrast, atovaquone either does not or inhibits normal cells in a less extent than in ovarian cancer cells. Mechanism studies using multiple independent approaches demonstrate that atovaquone acts on ovarian cancer cells via decreasing mitochondrial complex III which results in mitochondrial respiration inhibition, energy reduction and oxidative stress. In line with in vitro findings, atovaquone alone at non-toxic dose is effective in inhibiting ovarian cancer growth in vivo, and its combination with cisplatin is synergistic. Our study suggests that atovaquone is a promising candidate to the treatment of ovarian cancer. Our work also supports the notion that mitochondrial respiration is a therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.

Keywords:  Atovaquone; Chemoresistance; Mitochondrial dysfunction; Oxidative stress

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2021.153529
Cell Rep. 2021 Jun 29. pii: S2211-1247(21)00697-5. [Epub ahead of print]35(13): 109321

Revealing molecular pathways for cancer cell fitness through a genetic screen of the cancer translatome.

Duygu Kuzuoglu-Ozturk, Zhiqiang Hu, Martina Rama, Emily Devericks, Jacob Weiss, Gary G Chiang, Stephen T Worland, Steven E Brenner, Hani Goodarzi, Luke A Gilbert, Davide Ruggero.

  The major cap-binding protein eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), an ancient protein required for translation of all eukaryotic genomes, is a surprising yet potent oncogenic driver. The genetic interactions that maintain the oncogenic activity of this key translation factor remain unknown. In this study, we carry out a genome-wide CRISPRi screen wherein we identify more than 600 genetic interactions that sustain eIF4E oncogenic activity. Our data show that eIF4E controls the translation of Tfeb, a key executer of the autophagy response. This autophagy survival response is triggered by mitochondrial proteotoxic stress, which allows cancer cell survival. Our screen also reveals a functional interaction between eIF4E and a single anti-apoptotic factor, Bcl-xL, in tumor growth. Furthermore, we show that eIF4E and the exon-junction complex (EJC), which is involved in many steps of RNA metabolism, interact to control the migratory properties of cancer cells. Overall, we uncover several cancer-specific vulnerabilities that provide further resolution of the cancer translatome.

Keywords:  Bcl-xL; CRISPRi; EJC; Tfeb; UPR(mt)-like stress response; autophagy; cancer; eIF4E; mitochondria; translation control

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109321
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun 05. pii: 6101. [Epub ahead of print]22(11):

Loss of Nnt Increases Expression of Oxidative Phosphorylation Complexes in C57BL/6J Hearts.

Jack L Williams, Charlotte L Hall, Eirini Meimaridou, Lou A Metherell.

  Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) is a proton pump in the inner mitochondrial membrane that generates reducing equivalents in the form of NAPDH, which can be used for anabolic pathways or to remove reactive oxygen species (ROS). A number of studies have linked NNT dysfunction to cardiomyopathies and increased risk of atherosclerosis; however, biallelic mutations in humans commonly cause a phenotype of adrenal insufficiency, with rare occurrences of cardiac dysfunction and testicular tumours. Here, we compare the transcriptomes of the hearts, adrenals and testes from three mouse models: the C57BL/6N, which expresses NNT; the C57BL/6J, which lacks NNT; and a third mouse, expressing the wild-type NNT sequence on the C57BL/6J background. We saw enrichment of oxidative phosphorylation genes in the C57BL/B6J in the heart and adrenal, possibly indicative of an evolved response in this substrain to loss of Nnt. However, differential gene expression was mainly driven by mouse background with some changes seen in all three tissues, perhaps reflecting underlying genetic differences between the C57BL/B6J and -6N substrains.

Keywords:  C57BL/6J; C57BL/6N; NNT; RNAseq; cardiomyopathy; cellular respiration

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22116101
Nat Cancer. 2021 Apr;2(4): 414-428

FATTY ACID SYNTHESIS IS REQUIRED FOR BREAST CANCER BRAIN METASTASIS.

Gino B Ferraro, Ahmed Ali, Alba Luengo, David P Kodack, Amy Deik, Keene L Abbott, Divya Bezwada, Landry Blanc, Brendan Prideaux, Xin Jin, Jessica M Possada, Jiang Chen, Christopher R Chin, Zohreh Amoozgar, Raphael Ferreira, Ivy Chen, Kamila Naxerova, Christopher Ng, Anna M Westermark, Mark Duquette, Sylvie Roberge, Neal I Lindeman, Costas A Lyssiotis, Jens Nielsen, David E Housman, Dan G Duda, Elena Brachtel, Todd R Golub, Lewis C Cantley, John M Asara, Shawn M Davidson, Dai Fukumura, Véronique A Dartois, Clary B Clish, Rakesh K Jain, Matthew G Vander Heiden.

Brain metastases are refractory to therapies that control systemic disease in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2+) breast cancer, and the brain microenvironment contributes to this therapy resistance. Nutrient availability can vary across tissues, therefore metabolic adaptations required for brain metastatic breast cancer growth may introduce liabilities that can be exploited for therapy. Here, we assessed how metabolism differs between breast tumors in brain versus extracranial sites and found that fatty acid synthesis is elevated in breast tumors growing in brain. We determine that this phenotype is an adaptation to decreased lipid availability in brain relative to other tissues, resulting in a site-specific dependency on fatty acid synthesis for breast tumors growing at this site. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN) reduces HER2+ breast tumor growth in the brain, demonstrating that differences in nutrient availability across metastatic sites can result in targetable metabolic dependencies.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-021-00183-y
Sci Adv. 2021 Jul;pii: eabf8631. [Epub ahead of print]7(27):

The mitochondrial single-stranded DNA binding protein is essential for initiation of mtDNA replication.

Min Jiang, Xie Xie, Xuefeng Zhu, Shan Jiang, Dusanka Milenkovic, Jelena Misic, Yonghong Shi, Nirwan Tandukar, Xinping Li, Ilian Atanassov, Louise Jenninger, Emily Hoberg, Sara Albarran-Gutierrez, Zsolt Szilagyi, Bertil Macao, Stefan J Siira, Valerio Carelli, Jack D Griffith, Claes M Gustafsson, Thomas J Nicholls, Aleksandra Filipovska, Nils-Göran Larsson, Maria Falkenberg.

We report a role for the mitochondrial single-stranded DNA binding protein (mtSSB) in regulating mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication initiation in mammalian mitochondria. Transcription from the light-strand promoter (LSP) is required both for gene expression and for generating the RNA primers needed for initiation of mtDNA synthesis. In the absence of mtSSB, transcription from LSP is strongly up-regulated, but no replication primers are formed. Using deep sequencing in a mouse knockout model and biochemical reconstitution experiments with pure proteins, we find that mtSSB is necessary to restrict transcription initiation to optimize RNA primer formation at both origins of mtDNA replication. Last, we show that human pathological versions of mtSSB causing severe mitochondrial disease cannot efficiently support primer formation and initiation of mtDNA replication.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf8631
Biology (Basel). 2021 Jun 23. pii: 572. [Epub ahead of print]10(7):

Mitochondrial Protein Abundance Gradients Require the Distribution of Separated Mitochondria.

Franziska Bollmann, Jan-Niklas Dohrke, Christian A Wurm, Daniel C Jans, Stefan Jakobs.

  Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that interchange their contents mediated by fission and fusion. However, it has previously been shown that the mitochondria of cultured human epithelial cells exhibit a gradient in the relative abundance of several proteins, with the perinuclear mitochondria generally exhibiting a higher protein abundance than the peripheral mitochondria. The molecular mechanisms that are required for the establishment and the maintenance of such inner-cellular mitochondrial protein abundance gradients are unknown. We verified the existence of inner-cellular gradients in the abundance of clusters of the mitochondrial outer membrane protein Tom20 in the mitochondria of kidney epithelial cells from an African green monkey (Vero cells) using STED nanoscopy and confocal microscopy. We found that the Tom20 gradients are established immediately after cell division and require the presence of microtubules. Furthermore, the gradients are abrogated in hyperfused mitochondrial networks. Our results suggest that inner-cellular protein abundance gradients from the perinuclear to the peripheral mitochondria are established by the trafficking of individual mitochondria to their respective cellular destination.

Keywords:  image analysis; inner-cellular heterogeneity; nanoscopy; protein distribution; super-resolution microscopy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10070572
Polymers (Basel). 2021 Jun 02. pii: 1840. [Epub ahead of print]13(11):

Structural and Energetic Affinity of Annocatacin B with ND1 Subunit of the Human Mitochondrial Respiratory Complex I as a Potential Inhibitor: An In Silico Comparison Study with the Known Inhibitor Rotenone.

Camilo Febres-Molina, Jorge A Aguilar-Pineda, Pamela L Gamero-Begazo, Haruna L Barazorda-Ccahuana, Diego E Valencia, Karin J Vera-López, Gonzalo Davila-Del-Carpio, Badhin Gómez.

  ND1 subunit possesses the majority of the inhibitor binding domain of the human mitochondrial respiratory complex I. This is an attractive target for the search for new inhibitors that seek mitochondrial dysfunction. It is known, from in vitro experiments, that some metabolites from Annona muricata called acetogenins have important biological activities, such as anticancer, antiparasitic, and insecticide. Previous studies propose an inhibitory activity of bovine mitochondrial respiratory complex I by bis-tetrahydrofurans acetogenins such as annocatacin B, however, there are few studies on its inhibitory effect on human mitochondrial respiratory complex I. In this work, we evaluate the in silico molecular and energetic affinity of the annocatacin B molecule with the human ND1 subunit in order to elucidate its potential capacity to be a good inhibitor of this subunit. For this purpose, quantum mechanical optimizations, molecular dynamics simulations and the molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) analysis were performed. As a control to compare our outcomes, the molecule rotenone, which is a known mitochondrial respiratory complex I inhibitor, was chosen. Our results show that annocatacin B has a greater affinity for the ND1 structure, its size and folding were probably the main characteristics that contributed to stabilize the molecular complex. Furthermore, the MM/PBSA calculations showed a 35% stronger binding free energy compared to the rotenone complex. Detailed analysis of the binding free energy shows that the aliphatic chains of annocatacin B play a key role in molecular coupling by distributing favorable interactions throughout the major part of the ND1 structure. These results are consistent with experimental studies that mention that acetogenins may be good inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory complex I.

Keywords:  Hirshfeld charges; MD; MM/PBSA; MRC-I; ND1 subunit; annocatacin B; mitochondrial respiratory complex I; molecular dynamics simulations

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13111840
J Nutr. 2021 Jun 30. pii: nxab193. [Epub ahead of print]

NAD+-Precursor Supplementation With L-Tryptophan, Nicotinic Acid, and Nicotinamide Does Not Affect Mitochondrial Function or Skeletal Muscle Function in Physically Compromised Older Adults.

N J Connell, L Grevendonk, C E Fealy, E Moonen-Kornips, Y M H Bruls, V B Schrauwen-Hinderling, J de Vogel, R Hageman, J Geurts, R Zapata-Perez, R H Houtkooper, B Havekes, J Hoeks, P Schrauwen.

  BACKGROUND: Boosting NAD+ via supplementation with niacin equivalents has been proposed as a potential modality capable of promoting healthy aging and negating age-dependent declines of skeletal muscle mass and function.OBJECTIVES: We investigated the efficacy of NAD+-precursor supplementation (tryptophan, nicotinic acid, and nicotinamide) on skeletal muscle mitochondrial function in physically compromised older adults.
METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted in 14 (female/male: 4/10) community-dwelling, older adults with impaired physical function [age, 72.9 ± 4.0 years; BMI, 25.2 ± 2.3 kg/m2]. Participants were supplemented with 207.5 mg niacin equivalents/day [intervention (INT)] and a control product (CON) that did not contain niacin equivalents, each for 32 days. The primary outcomes tested were mitochondrial oxidative capacity and exercise efficiency, analyzed by means of paired Student's t-tests. Secondary outcomes, such as NAD+ concentrations, were analyzed accordingly.
RESULTS: Following supplementation, skeletal muscle NAD+ concentrations [7.5 ± 1.9 compared with 7.9 ± 1.6 AU, respectively] in INT compared with CON conditions were not significantly different compared to the control condition, whereas skeletal muscle methyl-nicotinamide levels were significantly higher under NAD+-precursor supplementation [INT, 0.098 ± 0.063 compared with CON, 0.025 ± 0.014; P = 0.001], suggesting an increased NAD+ metabolism. Conversely, neither ADP-stimulated [INT, 82.1 ± 19.0 compared with CON, 84.0 ± 19.2; P = 0.716] nor maximally uncoupled mitochondrial respiration [INT, 103.4 ± 30.7 compared with CON, 108.7 ± 33.4; P = 0.495] improved under NAD+-precursor supplementation, nor did net exercise efficiency during the submaximal cycling test [INT, 20.2 ± 2.77 compared with CON, 20.8 ± 2.88; P = 0.342].
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent with previous findings on NAD+ efficacy in humans, and we show in community-dwelling, older adults with impaired physical function that NAD+-precursor supplementation through L-tryptophan, nicotinic acid, and nicotinamide does not improve mitochondrial or skeletal muscle function. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03310034.

Keywords:  NAD+-precursors; metabolism; mitochondrial function; muscle health; older adults; skeletal muscle

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab193
Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 29. 11(1): 13474

De novo deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis regulates cell growth and tumor progression in small-cell lung carcinoma.

Ami Maruyama, Yuzo Sato, Joji Nakayama, Junko Murai, Takamasa Ishikawa, Tomoyoshi Soga, Hideki Makinoshima.

Deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis from ribonucleotides supports the growth of active cancer cells by producing building blocks for DNA. Although ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is known to catalyze the rate-limiting step of de novo deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) synthesis, the biological function of the RNR large subunit (RRM1) in small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) remains unclear. In this study, we established siRNA-transfected SCLC cell lines to investigate the anticancer effect of silencing RRM1 gene expression. We found that RRM1 is required for the full growth of SCLC cells both in vitro and in vivo. In particular, the deletion of RRM1 induced a DNA damage response in SCLC cells and decreased the number of cells with S phase cell cycle arrest. We also elucidated the overall changes in the metabolic profile of SCLC cells caused by RRM1 deletion. Together, our findings reveal a relationship between the deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis axis and key metabolic changes in SCLC, which may indicate a possible link between tumor growth and the regulation of deoxyribonucleotide metabolism in SCLC.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92948-9
Nat Metab. 2021 Jul 01.

Quantitative flux analysis in mammals.

Caroline R Bartman, Tara TeSlaa, Joshua D Rabinowitz.

Altered metabolic activity contributes to the pathogenesis of a number of diseases, including diabetes, heart failure, cancer, fibrosis and neurodegeneration. These diseases, and organismal metabolism more generally, are only partially recapitulated by cell culture models. Accordingly, it is important to measure metabolism in vivo. Over the past century, researchers studying glucose homeostasis have developed strategies for the measurement of tissue-specific and whole-body metabolic activity (pathway fluxes). The power of these strategies has been augmented by recent advances in metabolomics technologies. Here, we review techniques for measuring metabolic fluxes in intact mammals and discuss how to analyse and interpret the results. In tandem, we describe important findings from these techniques, and suggest promising avenues for their future application. Given the broad importance of metabolism to health and disease, more widespread application of these methods holds the potential to accelerate biomedical progress.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-021-00419-2