Plasmalogens Eliminate Aging-Associated Synaptic Defects and Microglia-Mediated Neuroinflammation in Mice.

Neurodegeneration is a pathological condition in which nervous system or neuron losses its structure, function, or both leading to progressive neural degeneration. Growing evidence strongly suggests that reduction of plasmalogens (Pls), one of the key brain lipids, might be associated with multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Plasmalogens are abundant members of ether-phospholipids. Approximately 1 in 5 phospholipids are plasmalogens in human tissue where they are particularly enriched in brain, heart and immune cells. In this study, we employed a scheme of 2-months Pls intragastric administration to aged female C57BL/6J mice, starting at the age of 16 months old. Noticeably, the aged Pls-fed mice exhibited a better cognitive performance, thicker and glossier body hair in appearance than that of aged control mice. The transmission electron microscopic (TEM) data showed that 2-months Pls supplementations surprisingly alleviate age-associated hippocampal synaptic loss and also promote synaptogenesis and synaptic vesicles formation in aged murine brain. Further RNA-sequencing, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analyses confirmed that plasmalogens remarkably enhanced both the synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis in aged murine hippocampus. In addition, we have demonstrated that Pls treatment inhibited the age-related microglia activation and attenuated the neuroinflammation in the murine brain. These findings suggest for the first time that Pls administration might be a potential intervention strategy for halting neurodegeneration and promoting neuroregeneration.

Moderation of mitochondrial respiration mitigates metabolic syndrome of aging.

Deregulation of mitochondrial dynamics leads to the accumulation of oxidative stress and unhealthy mitochondria; consequently, this accumulation contributes to premature aging and alterations in mitochondria linked to metabolic complications. We postulate that restrained mitochondrial ATP synthesis might alleviate age-associated disorders and extend healthspan in mammals. Herein, we prepared a previously discovered mitochondrial complex IV moderate inhibitor in drinking water and orally administered to standard-diet-fed, wild-type C57BL/6J mice every day for up to 16 mo. No manifestation of any apparent toxicity or deleterious effect on studied mouse models was observed. The impacts of an added inhibitor on a variety of mitochondrial functions were analyzed, such as respiratory activity, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and biogenesis, and a few age-associated comorbidities, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, glucose abnormalities, and obesity in mice. It was found that mitochondrial quality, dynamics, and oxidative metabolism were greatly improved, resulting in lean mice with a specific reduction in visceral fat plus superb energy and glucose homeostasis during their aging period compared to the control group. These results strongly suggest that a mild interference in ATP synthesis through moderation of mitochondrial activity could effectively up-regulate mitogenesis, reduce ROS production, and preserve mitochondrial integrity, thereby impeding the onset of metabolic syndrome. We conclude that this inhibitory intervention in mitochondrial respiration rectified the age-related physiological breakdown in mice by protecting mitochondrial function and markedly mitigated certain undesired primary outcomes of metabolic syndrome, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. This intervention warrants further research on the treatment of metabolic syndrome of aging in humans.

Three toxic gases meet in the mitochondria.

The rationale of the study was two-fold: (i) develop a functional synthetic model of the Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) active site, (ii) use it as a convenient tool to understand or predict the outcome of the reaction of CcO with ligands (physiologically relevant gases and other ligands). At physiological pH and potential, the model catalyzes the 4-electron reduction of oxygen. This model was immobilized on self-assembled-monolayer (SAM) modified electrode. During catalytic oxygen reduction, electron delivery through SAMs is rate limiting, similar to the situation in CcO. This model contains all three redox-active components in CcO's active site, which are required to minimize the production of partially-reduced-oxygen-species (PROS): Fe-heme ("heme a3") in a myoglobin-like model fitted with a proximal imidazole ligand, and a distal tris-imidazole Copper ("CuB") complex, where one imidazole is cross-linked to a phenol (mimicking "Tyr244"). This functional CcO model demonstrates how CcO itself might tolerate the hormone NO (which diffuses through the mitochondria). It is proposed that CuB delivers superoxide to NO bound to Fe-heme forming peroxynitrite, then nitrate that diffuses away. Another toxic gas, H2S, has exceptional biological effects: at ~80 ppm, H2S induces a state similar to hibernation in mice, lowering the animal's temperature and slowing respiration. Using our functional CcO model, we have demonstrated that at the same concentration range H2S can reversibly inhibit catalytic oxygen reduction. Such a reversible catalytic process on the model was also demonstrated with an organic compound, tetrazole (TZ). Following studies showed that TZ reversibly inhibits respiration in isolated mitochondria, and induces deactivation of platelets, a mitochondria-rich key component of blood coagulation. Hence, this program is a rare example illustrating the use of a functional model to understand and predict physiologically important reactions at the active site of CcO.

Inhibiting platelet-stimulated blood coagulation by inhibition of mitochondrial respiration.

Platelets are important mediators of blood coagulation that lack nuclei, but contain mitochondria. Although the presence of mitochondria in platelets has long been recognized, platelet mitochondrial function remains largely unaddressed. On the basis of a small amount of literature that suggests platelet mitochondria are functional, we hypothesized that the inhibition of platelet mitochondria disrupts platelet function and platelet-activated blood coagulation. To test this hypothesis, members of the tetrazole, thiazole, and 1,2,3-triazole families of small molecule heterocycles were screened for the ability to inhibit isolated mitochondrial respiration and coagulation of whole blood. The families of heterocycles screened were chosen on the basis of the ability of the heterocycle family to inhibit a biomimetic model of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). The strength of mitochondrial inhibition correlates with each compound's ability to deter platelet stimulation and platelet-activated blood clotting. These results suggest that for this class of molecules, inhibition of blood coagulation may be occurring through a mechanism involving mitochondrial inhibition.

Hybrid bilayer membrane: a platform to study the role of proton flux on the efficiency of oxygen reduction by a molecular electrocatalyst.

In this report, we present a novel platform to study proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) by controlling the proton flux using an electrode-supported hybrid bilayer membrane (HBM). Oxygen reduction by an iron porphyrin was used as a model PCET reaction. The proton flux was controlled by incorporating an aliphatic proton carrier, decanoic acid, into the lipid layer of the HBM. Using this system, we observed a different catalytic behavior than obtained by simply changing the pH of the solution in the absence of an HBM.

Ferrocene embedded in an electrode-supported hybrid lipid bilayer membrane: a model system for electrocatalysis in a biomimetic environment.

An electrode-supported system in which ferrocene molecules are embedded in a hybrid bilayer membrane (HBM) has been prepared and characterized. The redox properties of the ferrocene molecules were studied by varying the lipid and alkanethiol building blocks of the HBM. The midpoint potential and electron transfer rate of the embedded ferrocene were found to be dependent on the hydrophobic nature of the electrolyte and the distance at which the ferrocene was positioned in the HBM relative to the electrode and the solution. Additionally, the ability of the lipid-embedded ferrocenium ions to oxidize solution phase ascorbic acid was evaluated and found to be dependent on the nature of the counterion.

Recent applications of a synthetic model of cytochrome c oxidase: beyond functional modeling.

This account reports recent developments of a functional model for the active site of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). This CcO mimic not only performs the selective four-electron reduction of oxygen to water but also catalytically reduces oxygen using the biological one-electron reductant, cytochrome c. This functional model has been used to understand other biological reactions of CcO, for example, the interaction between the gaseous hormone, NO, and CcO. A mechanism for inactivating NO-CcO complexes is found to involve a reaction between oxygen and Cu(B). Moreover, NO is shown to be capable of protecting CcO from toxic inhibitors such as CN(-) and CO. Finally, this functional CcO model has been used to show how H(2)S could induce hibernation by reversibly inhibiting the oxygen binding step involved in respiration.

Electrochemical applications. How click chemistry brought biomimetic models to the next level: electrocatalysis under controlled rate of electron transfer.

This tutorial review discusses the immobilization of alkyne-terminated cytochrome c oxidase models on azide-functionalized self-assembled monolayers (SAM) coated gold electrodes that was made possible by click chemistry. The rate of electron delivery from the electrode to the model could be tuned by changing the nature of the SAM. Biologically relevant electron transfer rates (2-4 s(-1)) were obtained on slow SAMs allowing the model to turn over catalytically under steady-state conditions. Hence, click chemistry was a crucial tool to demonstrate, through electrocatalytic studies: (1) the role played by several features present in the distal side of the model, such as the Cu(B)-Tyr244 pair, the distal pocket, and the stabilizing role of a distal water cluster; (2) the reversible inhibition of O(2) reduction by H(2)S.

Using a functional enzyme model to understand the chemistry behind hydrogen sulfide induced hibernation.

The toxic gas H(2)S is produced by enzymes in the body. At moderate concentrations, H(2)S elicits physiological effects similar to hibernation. Herein, we describe experiments that imply that the phenomenon probably results from reversible inhibition of the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (CcO), which reduces oxygen during respiration. A functional model of the oxygen-reducing site in CcO was used to explore the effects of H(2)S during respiration. Spectroscopic analyses showed that the model binds two molecules of H2S. The electro-catalytic reduction of oxygen is reversibly inhibited by H(2)S concentrations similar to those that induce hibernation. This phenomenon derives from a weak, reversible binding of H(2)S to the Fe(II) porphyrin, which mimics heme a(3) in CcO's active site. No inhibition of CcO is detected at lower H(2)S concentrations. Nevertheless, at lower concentrations, H(2)S could have other biological effects on CcO. For example, H(2)S rapidly reduces Fe(III) and Cu(II) in both the oxidized form of this functional model and in CcO itself. H(2)S also reduces CcO's biological reductant, cytochrome c, which normally derives its reducing equivalents from food metabolism. Consequently, it is speculated that H(2)S might also serve as a source of electrons during periods of hibernation when food supplies are low.

Inhibition of electrocatalytic O(2) reduction of functional CcO models by competitive, non-competitive, and mixed inhibitors.

Electrocatalytic reduction of O(2) by functional cytochrome C Oxidase (CcO) models is studied in the presence of several known inhibitors like CO, N(3)(-), CN(-), and NO(2)(-). These models successfully reproduce the inhibitions observed in CcO at similar concentrations reported for these inhibitors. Importantly, the data show very different electrochemical responses depending on the nature of the inhibitor, that is, competitive, non-competitive and mixed. Chemical models have been provided for these observed differences in the electrochemical behavior. Using the benchmark electrochemical behaviors for known inhibitors, the inhibition by NO(2)(-) is investigated. Electrochemical data suggests that NO(2)(-) acts as a competitive inhibitor at high concentrations. Spectroscopic data suggests that NO released during oxidation of the reduced catalyst in presence of excess NO(2)(-) is the source of the competitive inhibition by NO(2)(-). Presence of the distal Cu(B) lowers the inhibitory effect of CN(-) and NO(2)(-). While for CN(-) it weakens its binding affinity to the reduced complex by approximately 4.5 times, for NO(2)(-), it allows regeneration of the active catalyst from a catalytically inactive, air stable ferrous nitrosyl complex via a proposed superoxide mediated pathway.

O2 reduction by a functional heme/nonheme bis-iron NOR model complex.

O(2) reactivity of a functional NOR model is investigated by using electrochemistry and spectroscopy. The electrochemical measurements using interdigitated electrodes show very high selectivity for 4e O(2) reduction with minimal production of partially reduced oxygen species (PROS) under both fast and slow electron flux. Intermediates trapped at cryogenic temperatures and characterized by using resonance Raman spectroscopy under single-turnover conditions indicate that an initial bridging peroxide intermediate undergoes homolytic O--O bond cleavage generating a trans heme/nonheme bis-ferryl intermediate. This bis ferryl species can oxygenate 2 equivalents of a reactive substrate.

Role of a distal pocket in the catalytic O2 reduction by cytochrome c oxidase models immobilized on interdigitated array electrodes.

Five iron porphyrins with different superstructures were immobilized on self-assembled-monolayer (SAM)-coated interdigitated-array (IDAs) gold-platinum electrodes. The selectivity of the catalysts i.e., limited formation of partially reduced oxygen species (PROS) in the electrocatalytic reduction of dioxygen, is a function of 2 rates: (i) the rate of electron transfer from the electrode to the catalyst, which is controlled by the length, and conjugation of the linker from the catalyst to the electrode and (ii) the rate of bound oxygen (superoxide) hydrolysis, which correlates with the presence of a water cluster in the gas-binding pocket influencing the rate of oxygen binding; these factors are controlled by the nature of the porphyrin superstructure. The structurally biomimetic Tris-imidazole model is the most selective.

Selective anodic desorption for assembly of different thiol monolayers on the individual electrodes of an array.

The close proximity of two individually addressable electrodes in an interdigitated array provides a unique platform for electrochemical study of multicatalytic processes. Here, we report a "plug-and-play" approach to control the underlying self-assembled monolayer and the electroactive species on each individually addressable electrode of an interdigitated array. The method presented here uses selective anodic desorption of a monolayer from one of the individually addressable electrodes and rapid formation of a different self-assembled monolayer on the freshly cleaned electrode. We illustrate this strategy by introducing variations in the length of the linker to the electroactive species in the self-assembled monolayer, which determines the rate of electron transfer. In order to separate the assembly of the monolayer from the choice of the electroactive species, we use CuI-catalyzed triazole formation ("click" chemistry) to covalently attach an acetylene-terminated electroactive species to an azide-terminated thiol monolayer selectively on each electrode. The resulting variations in the electron-transfer rate to surface-attached ferrocene and in the rate of catalytic oxidation of ascorbate by the ferrocenium/ferrocene couple demonstrate an application of this approach.

Catalytic reduction of O2 by cytochrome C using a synthetic model of cytochrome C oxidase.

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) catalyzes the four-electron reduction of oxygen to water, the one-electron reductant Cytochrome c (Cytc) being the source of electrons. Recently we reported a functional model of CcO that electrochemically catalyzes the four-electron reduction of O(2) to H(2)O (Collman et al. Science 2007, 315, 1565). The current paper shows that the same functional CcO model catalyzes the four-electron reduction of O(2) using the actual biological reductant Cytc in a homogeneous solution. Both single and steady-state turnover kinetics studies indicate that O(2) binding is rate-determining and that O-O bond cleavage and electron transfer from reduced Cytc to the oxidized model complex are relatively fast.

Water may inhibit oxygen binding in hemoprotein models.

Three distal imidazole pickets in a cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) model form a pocket hosting a cluster of water molecules. The cluster makes the ferrous heme low spin, and consequently the O(2) binding slow. The nature of the rigid proximal imidazole tail favors a high spin/low spin cross-over. The O(2) binding rate is enhanced either by removing the water, increasing the hydrophobicity of the gas binding pocket, or inserting a metal ion that coordinates to the 3 distal imidazole pickets.

A functional nitric oxide reductase model.

A functional heme/nonheme nitric oxide reductase (NOR) model is presented. The fully reduced diiron compound reacts with two equivalents of NO leading to the formation of one equivalent of N(2)O and the bis-ferric product. NO binds to both heme Fe and nonheme Fe complexes forming individual ferrous nitrosyl species. The mixed-valence species with an oxidized heme and a reduced nonheme Fe(B) does not show NO reduction activity. These results are consistent with a so-called "trans" mechanism for the reduction of NO by bacterial NOR.

Functional biomimetic models for the active site in the respiratory enzyme cytochrome c oxidase.

A functional analog of the active site in the respiratory enzyme, cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) reproduces every feature in CcO's active site: a myoglobin-like heme (heme a3), a distal tridentate imidazole copper complex (Cu(B)), a phenol (Tyr244), and a proximal imidazole. When covalently attached to a liquid-crystalline SAM film on an Au electrode, this functional model continuously catalyzes the selective four-electron reduction of dioxygen at physiological potential and pH, under rate-limiting electron flux (as occurs in CcO).

Interaction of nitric oxide with a functional model of cytochrome c oxidase.

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) is a multimetallic enzyme that carries out the reduction of O2 to H2O and is essential to respiration, providing the energy that powers all aerobic organisms by generating heat and forming ATP. The oxygen-binding heme a(3) should be subject to fatal inhibition by chemicals that could compete with O2 binding. Near the CcO active site is another enzyme, NO synthase, which produces the gaseous hormone NO. NO can strongly bind to heme a(3), thus inhibiting respiration. However, this disaster does not occur. Using functional models for the CcO active site, we show how NO inhibition is avoided; in fact, it is found that NO can protect the respiratory enzyme from other inhibitors such as cyanide, a classic poison.