Overexpression of Human Mitochondrial Alanyl-Trna Synthetase Suppresses Biochemical Defects of the Mt-Trnaala Mutation in Cybrid
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Int. J. Biol. Sci. 2018, Vol. 14 1437 Ivyspring International Publisher International Journal of Biological Sciences 2018; 14(11): 1437-1444. doi: 10.7150/ijbs.27043 Research Paper Overexpression of human mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase suppresses biochemical defects of the mt-tRNAAla mutation in cybrids Xiaoxu Zhao1,2#, Jiamin Han1,2#, Ling Zhu1,Yun Xiao2, Chenghui Wang1,2, Fang Hong1, Pingping Jiang1,2, 1,2 Min-Xin Guan 1. Division of Medical Genetics and Genomics, The Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China. 2. Institute of Genetics Zhejiang University, and Department of Human Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China. # These two authors contributed equally to this work. Corresponding author: Pingping Jiang, Ph.D., Institute of Genetics Zhejiang University, and Department of Human Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China. Telephone: 86-571-88982356; FAX: 86-571-88982377; E-mail: [email protected] © Ivyspring International Publisher. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). See http://ivyspring.com/terms for full terms and conditions. Received: 2018.05.03; Accepted: 2018.07.17; Published: 2018.08.06 Abstract Mutations of mitochondrial transfer RNAs (mt-tRNAs) play a major role in a wide range of mitochondrial diseases because of the vital role of these molecules in mitochondrial translation. It has previously been reported that the overexpression of mitochondrial aminoacyl tRNA synthetases is effective at partially suppressing the defects resulting from mutations in their cognate mt-tRNAs in cells. Here we report a detailed analysis of the suppressive activities of mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase (AARS2) on mt-tRNAAla 5655 A>G mutant. Mitochondrial defects in respiration, activity of oxidative phosphorylation complexes, ATP production, mitochondrial superoxide, and membrane potential were consistently rescued in m.5655A>G cybrids upon AARS2 expression. However, AARS2 overexpression did not result in a detectable increase in mutated mt-tRNAAla but caused an increase incharged mt-tRNAAla in mutant cybrids, leading to enhanced mitochondrial translation. This indicated that AARS2 improved the aminoacylation activity in the case of m.5655A>G, rather than having a stabilizing effect on the tRNA structure. The data presented in this paper deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of mt-tRNA diseases. Key words: mitochondrial tRNA, mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase, cybrid, oxidative phosphorylation Introduction Mitochondria are ubiquitous in eukaryotes and restore some mitochondrial functions reduced by essential for cell survival. Disorder of mitochondrial mt-tRNA mutations in human cells [3, 4] and yeast [5, DNA (mtDNA) causes a wide spectrum of diseases 6]. One of such mt-aaRSs is the class I human (MITOMAP, https://www.mitomap.org/MITO leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LARS2), the overexpression MAP). Most pathogenic mutations in mitochondria of which attenuates the defect of m.3243 A>G occur in mt-tRNA genes, leading to reduced levels in mutations in transmitochondrial cybrids with an the availability of steady-state mt-tRNA for increase in the steady-state level of tRNALeu (UUR) aminoacylation and mitochondrial translation and, in 3243A>G [3]. Similarly, the overexpression of turn, causing oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) mitochondrial valyl-tRNA synthetase (VARS2, class I defects [1, 2]. As mitochondrial protein synthesis is enzyme) has been shown to restore the steady-state dependent on the coordinated action of mitochondrial levels of tRNAVal resulting from 1624 C>T in Leigh aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (mt-aaRSs) and their disease [7]. Moreover, the non-cognate LARS2 can cognate mitochondrial tRNAs (mt-tRNAs), evidence partially rescue the pathological phenotype caused by has highlighted that mt-aaRS overexpression can the destabilizing mutations in tRNAVal [8, 9]. http://www.ijbs.com Int. J. Biol. Sci. 2018, Vol. 14 1438 However, mitochondrial class II human alanyl-tRNA tRNAAla were derived respectively from one proband synthetase (AARS2), as another non-cognate, fails to harboring the m.5655A>G mutation and one control rescue the biochemical deficiency of 1624 C>T mutant with the same mtDNA haplogroup as described tRNAVal due to its different structural and functional previously [2], and cultured in Dulbecco’s modified properties, which vary between the two aaRS classes. Eagle’s medium (Hyclone) with 10% fetal bovine Based on the findings obtained to date, the rescuing serum (Gemini). ApEGFP-N1-AARS2 vector was affects on mutations are dominated by Class I provided as a gift from Dr. Suomalainen and is mt-aaRSs. Previous observations have also suggested described elsewhere [13]. AARS2 cDNA was inserted that mt-aaRS suppress the defects resulting from in Xhol I/EcoR I sites of pcDNA3.1 zeo (−) mt-tRNA mutations due to stabilization of the correct (InvitrogenTM, Life Technologies). Cybrids were tRNA folding rather than increase in the mt-aaRS transfected with pcDNA3.1-AARS2 (CVA or TVA) and catalytic activity [3, 8, 10]. pcDNA3.1 zeo (−) as a vehicle control (CV0 or TV0) for The function of mt-tRNA in mitochondrial parallel analysis and then selected using translation is mostly maintained by factors, such as its 300-µg/mL/zeocin (InvitrogenTM, Life Technologies). structural features, nucleotide modifications, and precursor processing. The above mutations, Northern blot analysis of mt-tRNA m.1624C>T and m.3243A>G in D-loop, and m.8344 Total mitochondrial RNA (mtRNA) was A>G in TΨC-loop are important for the tRNA obtained from mitochondria isolated from mutant L-shaped structure and modification [11, 12]. The and control cybrid cell lines using the Totally RNA kit mutation m.7511 A>G (A37 in tRNA numbering) (Ambion) with approximately 4.0 × 107 cells. Two associated with deafness has been revealed to micrograms of total mtRNA was electrophoresed introduce m1G37 modification of the mt-tRNAAsp, through a 15% polyacrylamide-8 M urea gel in leading to the impairment of mt-tRNA metabolism Tris-borate-EDTA buffer and then electroblotted onto [1]. Recently, we found that m.5655A>G mutation (A1 a positively charged nylonmembrane (Roche) for at the aminoacyl acceptor stem) reduced the efficiency hybridization analysis with digoxin-labeled specific of tRNAAla processing at the 5′-end by RNase P, tRNA probes (Invitrogen): tRNAAla, tRNAGlu, resulting in aminoacylation deficiency and reduction tRNALys, tRNAHis, and 5S rRNA. The density of each in the steady-state level of mt-tRNAAla [2]. Thus, it is band was quantified using Image J software. anticipated that human AARS2 overexpression would mt-tRNA aminoacylation analysis ameliorate the defect of mt-tRNA metabolism and mitochondrial function in cybrids carrying Total RNA was extracted by Trizol (Sangon m.5655A>G. Furthermore, we hypothesized that Biotech, B511311-0100) from various cell lines (~5.0 × 7 compared with the mechanism underlying 10 cells). For the tRNA northern blotting analysis, m.3243A>G or m.8344 A>G, the major role of AARS2 15-μg total RNA was electrophoresed through a urea overexpression in the mechanism underlying denaturing 8% polyacrylamide-7 M urea gel to m.5655A>G is to increase the aminoacylation activity separate the charged and uncharged tRNAs, as rather than tRNAAla stability and subsequently detailed elsewhere [14]. The gels were electroblotted improve the biochemical function of mitochondria. To onto a positively charged nylon membrane (Roche) Ala Ser test this hypothesis, stable transfectants were for the hybridization analysis for tRNA , tRNA (AGY) Thr Lys constructed by transferring a human AARS2 cDNA , tRNA and tRNA with DIG-labeled into a cybrid carrying the homoplasmic m.5655A>G oligodeoxynucleotide probes, which were mutation and an isogenic control cybrid with the synthesized with a 3′-digoxigenin modification by homoplasmic wild-type version of tRNAAla. These Invitrogen. The hybridization and density of each stable transfectants were analyzed for their capacity to band were analyzed using Image J software and aminoacylate tRNAs, the associated stability of calculated as described previously [14]. Ala tRNA , the mitochondrial respiratory chain Western blotting and AARS2 expression function, and the mitochondrial membrane potential analysis (∆ψm). SDS-PAGE analysis of mitochondrial lysate was Materials and Methods performed for mtDNA-coded proteins and of whole-cell lysate for Total OXPHOS Human WB Cell lines and culture conditions Antibody Cocktail. After electrophoresis, gels were The cybrid cell lines with the homoplasmic transferred onto a PVDF membrane (Thermo Fisher tRNAAla 5655A>G mutation (T) and control cell lines Scientific, Shanghai, China) and processed for (C) with the homoplasmic wild-type version of immunoblotting. The following commercially http://www.ijbs.com Int. J. Biol. Sci. 2018, Vol. 14 1439 available antibodies were used: TOM20 (ab56783), Statistics ND1 (19703-1-AP), ATP6 (55313-1-AP), ND5 Results are given as mean ± standard deviation (ab92624), CYTB (55090-1-AP), CO2 (ab110258), and (SD) and were compared using unpaired t-tests total OXPHOS Human WB Antibody Cocktail assuming an unequal distribution. Data were (ab110411). All secondary antibodies were analyzed using GraphPad Prism (v5.04, HRP-conjugated (Molecular Probes). The density of www.graphpad.com). Values of *P < 0.05 and