The comparative biology of neuromelanin and lipofuscin in the human brain.

Neuromelanin and lipofuscin are two pigments produced within the human brain that, until recently, were considered inert cellular waste products of little interest to neuroscience. Recent research has increased our understanding of the nature and interactions of these pigments with their cellular environment and suggests that these pigments may, indeed, influence cellular function. The physical appearance and distribution of the pigments within the human brain differ, but both accumulate in the aging brain and the pigments share some structural features. Lipofuscin accumulation has been implicated in postmitotic cell aging, while neuromelanin is suggested to function as an iron-regulatory molecule with possible protective functions within the cells which produce this pigment. This review presents comparative aspects of the biology of neuromelanin and lipofuscin, as well as a discussion of their hypothesized functions in brain and their possible roles in aging and neurodegenerative disease.

Lipid content determines aggregation of neuromelanin granules in vitro.

The neuromelanin pigment of the substantia nigra of the human brain is closely associated with lipids and other non-melanogenic compounds which appear to contribute to the unique and complex morphology of neuromelanin pigment granules. In this work we show that insoluble granules isolated from the human substantia nigra associate in vitro to form pigment aggregates similar to those present in the human brain. Extraction of neuromelanin-associated polar lipids by methanol and/or hexane significantly enhanced melanin aggregate size. A marked (10-fold) increase in granule size was seen after methanol treatment, whereas the application of hexane after methanol reduced this pro-aggregation effect. We have previously reported that hexane and methanol remove the neuromelanin-associated polyisoprenoids dolichol and cholesterol respectively. Thus, the current data suggests that pigment-associated lipids may be a factor regulating pigment aggregation and neuromelanin granule size in vivo.

Inhibition of topoisomerase II overrides the G2/M check points of the cell cycle in EBV-lymphocytes.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with a number of human malignancies. In vitro EBV infection transforms human lymphocytes into proliferating cell lines (EBV-lymphocytes). Etoposide, topoisomerase II inhibitor, induced apoptosis in EBV-lymphocytes as shown by expression of phosphatidylserine, loss of DNA and mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell shrinkage. In contrast, those cells, which had yet to display signs of apoptosis, grew to exceed their normal size. These EBV-lymphocytes had unusual cellular and nuclear morphology, higher mitochondrial membrane potential, increased expression of proteins and an amount of DNA that exceeded the maximum DNA content in normal EBV-lymphocytes by more than two-fold. Application of the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK in the presence of etoposide increased the numbers of such large cells. This data suggests that inhibition of topoisomerase II by etoposide does not inhibit DNA synthesis but rather overrides the G(2)/M check points of the cell cycle, resulting in cells growth over their genetically determined size. This may trigger apoptosis to eliminate cells, which failed to complete mitosis.

Visualisation of mitochondria in living neurons with single- and two-photon fluorescence laser microscopy.

In this work we investigated the relative merits of conventional single-photon confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (CLSM) and two-photon laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (2p-LSM) for the study of mitochondria in living neurons. Dorsal root ganglion neurons were loaded with the mitochondrion-specific fluorescent dye JC-1, the ratio between red (J-aggregates) and green (monomer) fluorescence of which reflects mitochondrial membrane potential. Cells were illuminated at 488 nm for single-photon excitation or at 870 nm for two-photon excitation. In both modalities we found that mitochondria showed: (i) similar appearance; (ii) similar fluorescence ratio values over both whole cell bodies and individual mitochondria; and (iii) similar responses to mitochondrial uncoupler, which dropped the ratio values by 50%. However, 2p-LSM exhibited several advantages over CLSM: (i) better signal/noise ratio in the green emission channel; (ii) less phototoxicity upon repetitive scanning in the focal plane; and (iii) no significant loss of image quality upon repetitive scans in the z direction. We conclude that, while both techniques enable visualisation of individual mitochondria in living cells, 2p-LSM has significant advantages for physiological work requiring time-lapse experiments or four-dimensional reconstructions of mitochondria.

Capsaicin-induced depolarisation of mitochondria in dorsal root ganglion neurons is enhanced by vanilloid receptors.

Capsaicin, a pungent ingredient of hot chilli peppers, triggered Ca(2+) influx in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, which express specific vanilloid receptors of type 1, with ED(50)<100 nM. An increase in capsaicin concentration to 10 microM inhibited Ca(2+) clearance from the cytosol, but did not affect the amplitude of intracellular Ca(2+) elevation. In DRG neurons, 10 microM capsaicin also produced a significant drop in mitochondrial membrane potential (Deltapsi), as measured with the mitochondria-specific potentiometric fluorescent dye JC-1. Similar loss of mitochondrial potential upon application of capsaicin was observed in non-neuronal primary (human lymphocytes) and transformed (human myeloid leukaemia cell line, HL-60) cells. The EC(50) values for capsaicin-induced mitochondrial depolarisation were 6.9 microM (DRG neurons), 200 microM (human lymphocytes) and 150 microM (HL-60 cells). Removal of extracellular Ca(2+) or an application of the antioxidant trolox attenuated capsaicin-induced dissipation of Deltapsi in DRG neurons, but not in human lymphocytes and HL-60 cells. Rotenone, an inhibitor of complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and oligomycin, an inhibitor of F(0)F(1)-ATPase, significantly enhanced the mitochondrial depolarisation produced by capsaicin in DRG neurons. In human lymphocytes and HL-60 cells, only oligomycin potentiated the effect of capsaicin. From our results, we suggest that, in DRG neurons and non-neuronal cells, capsaicin dissipates Deltapsi, possibly due to a direct inhibition of complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The presence of vanilloid receptor-1 in DRG neurons makes their mitochondria 20-30-fold more sensitive to the depolarising effect of capsaicin compared with non-neuronal cells lacking vanilloid receptor-1. The higher sensitivity of DRG neurons to capsaicin may underlie a selective neurotoxicity of capsaicin towards sensory neurons.

Transport of mitochondria during axonogenesis.

The cellular mechanisms involved in axonogenesis are still unclear. In the present work we found that formation of neurites in cultured neonatal dorsal root ganglion neurons co-incided with the redistribution of highly charged mitochondria. Radially distributed in subplasmalemmal space 3 h after plating, highly charged mitochondria formed clusters in the hillocks of predominant neurites during the next 2448 h and then redistributed into the axons. These results provide evidence that accumulation of a critical mass of charged mitochondria at the site of the future axonal hillock may represent the slow initiation stage of axonogenesis, followed by a fast growth phase.

Three-dimensional organisation of mitochondrial clusters in regenerating dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from neonatal rats: evidence for mobile mitochondrial pools.

We report for the first time the rearrangement of mitochondrial arrays in developing dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons isolated from neonatal rats in culture. Neurons were loaded with the mitochondria-specific fluorescent dye JC-1, and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of mitochondrial fluorescence was performed by confocal laser sectioning in fresh neurons and neurons kept in culture up to a week. We found that after 24 hours the mitochondria become reorganised to form clusters in the axonal hillocks. Axonal extension and neuronal network formation coincided with a redistribution of the mitochondrial clusters. In the extended axons the mitochondria become spaced along the axonal length; however, they formed clusters in the branch points and growth cones. We conclude that the initial clusters of mitochondria may be storage pools of mobile mitochondria able to be mobilised to provide energy for axonal transport during neuronal regeneration and neuronal outgrowth. These findings may have relevance to the rate of axonal regeneration and axonal transport in adult DRG neurons, and neuronal polarisation and axonal outgrowth regulation in developing DRG neurons.

Mitochondrial calcium accumulation following activation of vanilloid (VR1) receptors by capsaicin in dorsal root ganglion neurons.

Stimulation of the vanilloid (capsaicin) receptor (VR1), currently viewed as a molecular integrator of chemical and physical noxious stimuli, evoked intracellular Ca2+ transients in a capsaicin-sensitive subpopulation of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. These were comprised of an initial fast rise (seconds) followed by a long-lasting intracellular Ca2+ recovery (tens of minutes). The rate of intracellular Ca2+ recovery was dependent on the magnitude of intracellular Ca2+ transients. Opening of voltage-operated Ca2+ channels in the same neurons by K+ depolarization evoked intracellular Ca2+ elevation of a similar amplitude and rate of rise; however, the recovery of intracellular Ca2+ to the prestimulated level was significantly faster. A mitochondrial uncoupler (10 microM carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrasone) was used to reveal the role of mitochondria in intracellular Ca2+ buffering. Carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrasone-evoked elevation in intracellular Ca2+ was greater in neurons previously stimulated with capsaicin compared with KCl. Neither extracellular Ca2+ nor ATP depletion influenced significantly the carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrasone-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ elevation in neurons loaded with Ca2+ via vanilloid 1 receptor stimulation. The effects of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrasone suggest that the amount of Ca2+ buffered by mitochondria is greater when extracellular Ca2+ enters the neuron via the vanilloid 1 receptor channel than via voltage-operated Ca2+ channels. The long duration of intracellular Ca2+ decline in neurons stimulated with capsaicin, which depends on the amount of Ca2+ buffered by mitochondria, may reflect a specific mechanism of Ca2+ buffering following activation the pain receptor VR1.

Organisation of mitochondria in living sensory neurons.

In this work, we have examined the mitochondrial organisation in living cultured primary dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Confocal microscopy and the mitochondrial potential-sensitive fluorescent dye 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolo carbocyanine iodide (JC-1) were used to visualise intracellular structures with a high and low membrane potential. Three-dimensional reconstruction revealed a mitochondrial organisation featuring separate highly polarised mitochondria, clusters of mitochondria located mainly at the base of neurite hillocks and filamentous mitochondrial structures. Filamentous mitochondria were distributed along the cell body, especially between neurites. A functional integration between mitochondrial structures is proposed.

Induction of nonselective permeability of the inner membrane in deenergized mitochondria.

Induction of the nonselective cyclosporin-sensitive pore in the inner mitochondrial membrane under conditions of complete dissipation of ion gradients and transmembrane potential was studied. This approach allows the kinetics of Ca2+-dependent pore opening and the preceding processes of induction to be studied separately. The effects of mitochondrial heterogeneity were also minimized. We found that the kinetics of pore opening can be described by a minimal two-step scheme where only the rate constant at the first step depends on Ca2+ concentration. Oxidation of pyridine nucleotides in the matrix caused a slow transition in the pore complex and decreased the apparent dissociation constant of the Ca2+-binding site from >1 mM to approximately 30 microM. N-Ethylmaleimide (but not disulfide-reducing agents) prevented and slowly reverted the pore induction process. Data suggesting allosteric modulation of the pore by pyridine nucleotides are presented.

Rat dorsal root ganglion neurones express different capsaicin-evoked Ca2+ transients and permeabilities to Mn2+.

Capsaicin (1 microM) evoked [Ca2+]i transients in two-thirds of a Percoll-gradient enriched population of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones. Amongst the capsaicin-sensitive neurones, 68% responded to capsaicin with peak [Ca2+]i transients of 681 +/- 67 nM, whereas the remaining neurones gave peak [Ca2+]i transients of 260 +/- 84 nM. In the presence of Mn2+ in Ca2+-free medium, capsaicin evoked quenching of fura-2 fluorescence, due to Mn2+ influx, in a similar proportion of neurones. Two patterns of capsaicin-sensitive Mn2+ quenching were observed: 72% of neurones showed rapid quenching (t1/2 of 18.3 +/- 4.1 s), whereas the remaining neurones had low quenching rates (t1/2 of 119 +/- 33 s). Distinct capsaicin-sensitive subpopulations of DRG neurones can thus be distinguished on the basis of their peak [Ca2+]i transient amplitudes, which appear to be associated with different rates of Ca2+ influx.

[Effect of protein inhibitors of mitochondrial ATPase in intact rat thymocytes and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells]. / Deistvie belka-ingibitora mitokhondrial'noi ATPazy v intaktnykh timotsitakh krysy i kletkakh astsitnoi kartsinomy érlikha.

It has been found that inhibition of mitochondrial ATPase in living thymocytes and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells after incubation of cells with uncoupler, rotenone or cumene hydroperoxide, depends, in a large measure, on the inhibitor protein (IF1) action. Maximum inhibition (up to 70% of the oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity) was found in the presence of the uncoupler in the incubation medium. Even when IF1 action was maximum, the residual ATPase activity caused marked ATP depletion in thymocytes, while in EAC cells other ATP-consuming processes prevailed. No inactive ATPase-IF1 complexes were found in intact thymocytes and EAC cells. The extent of inhibition of mitochondrial ATPase under oxidative stress was higher in thymocytes than in EAC cells and depended on cumene hydroperoxide concentration and duration of cell cellular ATP depletion. It is suggested that under certain experimental conditions IF1 can prevent cell death by slowing down the hydrolysis of cellular ATP.

Ca(2+)-triggered membrane permeability transition in deenergized mitochondria from rat liver.

The opening of the cyclosporin A-sensitive permeability transition pore (MTP) in deenergized mitochondria was induced only at millimolar Ca2+. Pretreatment of the mitochondria with 'inducers', such as duroquinone and phenylarsine oxide, allowed observing the pore opening at 0.01-0.1 mM Ca2+. Duroquinone caused a rapid (within 20 s) NAD(P)H oxidation which was followed by a slow (20 min) induction of the pore sensitive to low Ca2+. Phenylarsine oxide capable of cross-linking of vicinal SH-groups caused pore formation without the oxidation of NAD(P)H. The pore opening by both 'inducers' was prevented by N-ethylmaleimide. We propose that oxidation or cross-linking of critical dithiol(s) in membrane proteins increase the sensitivity of a putative 'Ca(2+)-sensor' that regulates the permeability transition pore opening.

Mitochondrial ATP hydrolysis and ATP depletion in thymocytes and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells.

When Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells and thymocytes were treated with uncoupler or rotenone in glucose-free medium, rapid ATP depletion was observed in both types of the cells. Oligomycin slowed down ATP loss in thymocytes, but not in EAC cells. Thus, mitochondrial ATP hydrolysis appears to be significant in deenergized thymocytes in contrast to EAC cells, in which other ATP consuming reactions were prevailing. Complete deenergization of mitochondria by uncoupler or rotenone in these cells resulted in inactivation of mitochondrial ATPase by 65-75%. The effect was observed after complete and rapid (20-30 s) disruption of the cells with detergent, Lubrol WX. ATPase was blocked by the specific inhibitor protein (IF1) as it was shown by the studies on reactivation of this enzyme. When respiration is blocked but ATP content is supported by glycolysis, mitochondrial ATPase is not suppressed by IF1, and maintains the energization of mitochondria. It is concluded that under complete de-energization of mitochondria IF1 significantly inhibits mitochondrial ATP hydrolysis and may slow down ATP loss in thymocytes and EAC cells.