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Mitochondrial Energetics and Therapeutics
Douglas C. Wallace, Weiwei Fan, and Vincent Procaccio
Center for Molecular and Mitochondrial Medicine and Genetics and Departments of Biological Chemistry, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Pediatrics, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-3940; email: [email protected]
Annu. Rev. Pathol. Mech. Dis. 2010. 5:297–348 Key Words First published online as a Review in Advance on mitochondria, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial disorders, November 3, 2009 redox state, mitochondrial therapies The Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of by Florida State University on 07/18/11. For personal use only. Disease is online at pathmechdis.annualreviews.org Abstract This article’s doi: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to a wide range of degener- 10.1146/annurev.pathol.4.110807.092314 ative and metabolic diseases, cancer, and aging. All these clinical man- Annu. Rev. Pathol. Mech. Dis. 2010.5:297-348. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org Copyright c 2010 by Annual Reviews. ifestations arise from the central role of bioenergetics in cell biology. All rights reserved Although genetic therapies are maturing as the rules of bioenergetic 1553-4006/10/0228-0297$20.00 genetics are clarified, metabolic therapies have been ineffectual. This failure results from our limited appreciation of the role of bioenergetics as the interface between the environment and the cell. A systems ap- proach, which, ironically, was first successfully applied over 80 years ago with the introduction of the ketogenic diet, is required. Analysis of the many ways that a shift from carbohydrate glycolytic metabolism to fatty acid and ketone oxidative metabolism may modulate metabolism, signal transduction pathways, and the epigenome gives us an appreciation of the ketogenic diet and the potential for bioenergetic therapeutics.
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INTRODUCTION mitochondrial dysfunction is probably central Mitochondrial DNA to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and (mtDNA): maternally The role of energetic dysfunction in a broad cancer. inherited circular range of metabolic and degenerative diseases, Mitochondrial diseases can be caused by ge- DNA located in the cancer, and aging is becoming increasingly ap- mitochondrial matrix; netic defects in any mtDNA or nuclear DNA parent (1–3). Whereas the identification of mu- contains 13 critical (nDNA) gene that encodes a mitochondrial tations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes oxidative protein or structural RNAs. Although mito- phosphorylation 20 years ago (4–7) proved that energy defi- chondrial diseases had been assumed to be rare, subunits, 2 ribosomal ciency could cause degenerative diseases, the epidemiological studies have concluded that the RNA genes, and 22 pathophysiology of energy-deficiency diseases transfer RNA genes frequency of mtDNA diseases alone is on the remains poorly understood. Consequently, order of 1 in 5000 (8, 9), and known pathogenic Mitochondrion: although genetic therapies targeting energy- cytosolic organelle of mtDNA mutations have been detected in the production genes have advanced in sophisti- endosymbiotic origin cord blood of 1 in 200 live births (10). Further- cation and potential effectiveness, metabolic that produces energy more, nDNA mutations affecting mitochon- by oxidizing substrates therapies to ameliorate the symptoms of af- drial genes may be even more common than with oxygen by fected individuals have been slow to develop and mtDNA mutations (3). Thus, the genetic bur- oxidative disappointing in their effectiveness. phosphorylation den of energy dysfunction is likely to be enor- The disappointing progress in developing mous. Because the mitochondria are believed nDNA: nuclear DNA energetic medicines is the direct result of our to generate the majority of our energy, under- Reactive oxygen very limited understanding of energy biology standing the pathophysiology of rare and com- species (ROS): and the interrelationship between bioenerget- oxidative agents, mon mitochondrial diseases and the develop- ics and environmental influences. Therefore, to generated as ment of energetic therapies must start with the advance energetic therapeutics, we must place by-products of mitochondrion. oxidative mitochondrial diseases and their therapeutics phosphorylation, that in the broader context of organismal and cel- are central to the lular bioenergetics. This endeavor should not MITOCHONDRIAL signal transduction be confined to a few rare genetic diseases, as BIOENERGETICS AND systems of the cell but that, when produced in it may prove to be central to our understand- GENETICS excess, can damage ing and treatment of a broad range of common The mitochondria perform four central func- cellular mitochondrial, metabolic and degenerative clinical problems. tions in the cell that are relevant to the patho- cytosolic, and nuclear At present, our knowledge of energetic dis- components (DNA, physiology of disease: They (a) provide the ma- eases stems from the past 20 years of studies on proteins, and lipids) jority of the cellular energy in the form of mitochondrial bioenergetics and diseases. Mi- Apoptosis: ATP, (b) generate and regulate reactive oxy- by Florida State University on 07/18/11. For personal use only. tochondrial diseases are heterogeneous and of- programmed cell gen species (ROS), (c) buffer cytosolic cal- ten multisystemic. Because the mitochondrion 2+ death resulting in the cium (Ca ), and (d ) regulate apoptosis through activation of caspase provides much of the energy for the cell, mito- the mitochondrial permeability transition pore enzymes, leading to chondrial disorders preferentially affect tissues (mtPTP) (1). Annu. Rev. Pathol. Mech. Dis. 2010.5:297-348. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org cellular degradation. with high-energy demands such as the brain, The intrinsic apoptosis muscle, heart, and endocrine system, although pathway can be Mitochondrial Energetics initiated via the any organ can be affected. Thus, energetic de- mitochondrial fects have been implicated in forms of blind- Energetics in animals is based on the availabil- permeability transition ness, deafness, movement disorders, dementias, ity of reducing equivalents (hydrogen), con- pore cardiomyopathy, myopathy, renal dysfunction, sumed as carbohydrates and fats, that react mtPTP: and aging. Moreover, because the mitochon- with oxygen to generate water via mitochon- mitochondrial dria lie at the interface between environmental drial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) permeability transition calories and organ energetic demands, the mi- (Figure 1). Glucose is cleaved into pyruvate via pore tochondrion is the likely mediator of the com- glycolysis within the cytosol, reducing cytoso- mon metabolic disorders. As a consequence, lic NAD+ to NADH (reduced nicotinamide
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adenine nucleotide). The pyruvate then enters are pumped out of the matrix by complexes I, the mitochondrion via pyruvate dehydroge- III, and IV and by the efficiency with which nase (PDH), resulting in mitochondrial acetyl- proton flux through complex V is converted + + Oxidative CoA, NADH H , and CO2. The acetyl-CoA to ATP. The uncoupler drug 2,4-dinitrophenol phosphorylation then enters the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the nDNA-encoded uncoupler proteins 1, (OXPHOS): process which strips the hydrogens from the organic 2, and 3 render the mitochondrial inner mem- by which the acids, thereby generating NADH + H+. Fatty brane “leaky” for protons. This short-circuits mitochondrion acids are oxidized entirely within the mitochon- the mitochondrial inner-membrane capacitor; oxidizes reduced substrates with oxygen drion by beta oxidation, generating mitochon- uncouples electron transport from ATP synthe- to generate energy in a + + drial acetyl-CoA, NADH H , and FADH2; sis; and causes the ETC to run at its maximum variety of forms, the latter is contained in the electron trans- rate, thereby dissipating the energy as heat. including ATP, heat, fer factor. Two electrons are transferred from Variation in mitochondrial proteins has membrane potentials, NADH + H+ to NADH dehydrogenase (com- been proposed to alter the OXPHOS coupling and redox reactions NADH: reduced plex I) or from FADH2-containing enzymes efficiency, thus altering the proportion of such as the electron transfer factor dehydroge- the calories burned by the mitochondrion nicotinamide adenine nucleotide nase or succinate dehydrogenase (complex II) that are allocated to ATP generation versus CoQ: coenzyme Q10 to reduce ubiquinone [coenzyme Q10 (CoQ)] heat production. Alterations in the coupling to ubisemiquinone, and then to ubiquinol. The efficiency can influence ROS generation, electrons from ubiquinol are then transferred modulating Ca2+ uptake, and predilection down the remainder of the electron trans- to apoptosis. Such physiological changes port chain (ETC) successively to complex III permitted our ancestors to adapt to a range of
(bc1 complex), cytochrome c, complex IV [cy- new environments (12–15). tochrome c oxidase (COX)], and finally to oxy- 1 gen ( 2 O2) to yield H2O. The energy that is released as the electrons OXPHOS Complexes flow down the ETC is used to pump protons The mitochondrion is assembled from genes out across the mitochondrial inner membrane encoded in both the nDNA and the mtDNA. through complexes I, III, and IV. This creates a OXPHOS complex I is assembled from 45 proton electrochemical gradient ( P = + polypeptides, of which seven (ND1, -2, -3, -4, μH+), a capacitor that is acidic and positive -4L, -5, and -6) are encoded by the mtDNA; in the intermembrane space and negative and complex II from four nDNA polypeptides; alkaline on the matrix side. The potential en- complex III from 11 polypeptides, of which one
by Florida State University on 07/18/11. For personal use only. ergy stored in P is used for multiple purposes: (cytochrome b) is encoded by the mtDNA; com- + (a) to import proteins and Ca2 into the mi- plex IV from 13 polypeptides, of which three tochondrion, (b) to generate heat, and (c)to (COI, -II, and -III) are from the mtDNA; and synthesize ATP within the mitochondrial ma- complex V from approximately 16 polypep-
Annu. Rev. Pathol. Mech. Dis. 2010.5:297-348. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org trix. The energy to convert ADP + Pi to ATP tides, of which two (ATP6 and -8) are from the comes from the flow of protons through the mtDNA. Of the five complexes, only complexes ATP synthetase (complex V) back into the ma- I, III, IV, and V transport protons, and they trix. Matrix ATP is then exchanged for cy- also retain mtDNA-encoded polypeptides. Be- tosolic ADP by the inner-membrane adenine cause all of the proton-transporting complexes nucleotide translocators (ANTs) (Figure 1) share a common electrochemical gradient ( P) (11). that is central to the energetics of the cell, the The efficiency with which dietary reducing proton transport of all four complexes must be equivalents are converted to ATP by OXPHOS balanced to avoid one of the complexes short- is known as the coupling efficiency. This is de- circuiting the common capacitor and negat- termined by the efficiency with which protons ing the energy-generating capacity of the other
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complexes. Consequently, the major electrical result, protein genes from different mtDNA components of the four proton-pumping com- maternal lineages with different coupling ef- plexes must coevolve. This is accomplished ficiencies cannot be mixed by recombination. through the maintenance of all these proteins Hence, all 13 mtDNA polypeptide genes are on a single piece of DNA inherited from only selected as a single unit, and only combinations one parent, the mother in most animals. As a of variants that optimally manage and utilize
Extracellular Cytosol space ATP Mitochondrion + NAD ATP Dietary Reducing TCA OXPHOS Work equivalents β ΔμH+ calories oxidation ADP+ Pi NADH+ + H+ ADP e– Acetyl-CoA O2 .– * mtPTP O2 closed Ca++ Ca++ MnSOD GP×1 Fe2+ . mtPTP H2O H2O2 OH open mCAT Apoptosis p66Shc Aging BAX NF-κB, APE-1, H2O2 kinases (Scr, PKC, MAPK) Mitogens Cancer Fe2+ . NAD+ Sirt1 H2O2 OH
Normal Proto- Damaged p53 AC DNA oncogenes DNA
Nucleus Poly OXPHOS Activated subunits NAD+ ADP-ribose PARP Histones oncogenes ATPsynβ Cytochrome c Sirt1 Deacetylation mtTFA Dephosphorylation NRF-1 and -2 PPARα, -γ, -δ Inactive Active MEF2 Histones α MnSOD chromatin chromatin HNF4 by Florida State University on 07/18/11. For personal use only. catalase Acetyl-CoA Acetylation CoASH ATP Phosphorylation ADP AC Stress response CRE IRE P PGC-1α
Annu. Rev. Pathol. Mech. Dis. 2010.5:297-348. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org P CREB FOXO Glucagon GR ATP ADP AC cAMP ATP PKA ATP IRS Sirt1 ADP Insulin IR CREB ATP NAD+ + AMPK 2ADP ATP IRS P PI3 AMP PI3K PTEN [Akt/PKB] PI2 P FOXO AC
ATP flow Acetyl-CoA flow
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