Comparative analysis of cytosolic and mitochondrial ATP synthesis in embryonic and postnatal hippocampal neuronal cultures.

ATP in neurons is commonly believed to be synthesized mostly by mitochondria via oxidative phosphorylation. Neuronal mitochondria have been studied primarily in culture, i.e., in neurons isolated either from embryos or from neonatal pups. Although it is generally assumed that both embryonic and postnatal cultured neurons derive their ATP from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, this has never been tested experimentally. We expressed the FRET-based ATP sensor AT1.03 in cultured hippocampal neurons isolated either from E17 to E18 rat embryos or from P1 to P2 rat pups and monitored [ATP]c simultaneously with mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm; TMRM) and NAD(P)H autofluorescence. In embryonic neurons, transient glucose deprivation induced a near-complete decrease in [ATP]c, which was partially reversible and was accelerated by inhibition of glycolysis with 2-deoxyglucose. In the absence of glucose, pyruvate did not cause any significant increase in [ATP]c in 84% of embryonic neurons, and inhibition of mitochondrial ATP synthase with oligomycin failed to decrease [ATP]c. Moreover, ΔΨm was significantly reduced by oligomycin, indicating that mitochondria acted as consumers rather than producers of ATP in embryonic neurons. In sharp contrast, in postnatal neurons pyruvate added during glucose deprivation significantly increased [ATP]c (by 54 ± 8%), whereas oligomycin induced a sharp decline in [ATP]c and increased ΔΨm. These signs of oxidative phosphorylation were observed in all tested P1-P2 neurons. Measurement of ΔΨm with the potential-sensitive probe JC-1 revealed that neuronal mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly reduced in embryonic cultures compared to the postnatal ones, possibly due to increased proton permeability of inner mitochondrial membrane. We conclude that, in embryonic, but not postnatal neuronal cultures, ATP synthesis is predominantly glycolytic and the oxidative phosphorylation-mediated synthesis of ATP by mitochondrial F1Fo-ATPase is insignificant.

Measurements of mitochondrial pH in cultured cortical neurons clarify contribution of mitochondrial pore to the mechanism of glutamate-induced delayed Ca2+ deregulation.

To clarify the role of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPT) in the mechanism of the glutamate-induced delayed calcium deregulation (DCD) and mitochondrial depolarization (MD), we studied changes in cytosolic (pH(c)) and mitochondrial pH (pH(m)) induced by glutamate in cultured cortical neurons expressing pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins. We found that DCD and MD were associated with a prominent pH(m) decrease which presumably resulted from MPT opening. This pH(m) decrease occurred with some delay after the onset of DCD and MD. This argued against the hypothesis that MPT opening plays a dominant role in triggering of DCD. This conclusion was also supported by experiments in which Ca(2+) was replaced with antagonist of MPT opening Sr(2+). We found that in Sr(2+)-containing medium glutamate-induced delayed strontium deregulation (DSD), similar to DCD, which was accompanied by a profound MD. Analysis of the changes in pH(c) and pH(m) associated with DSD led us to conclude that MD in Sr(2+)-containing medium occurred without involvement of the pore. In contrast, in Ca(2+)-containing medium such "non-pore mechanism" was responsible only for MD initiation while in the final stages of MD development the MPT played a major role.

Mitochondrial Ca2+ cycle mediated by the palmitate-activated cyclosporin A-insensitive pore.

Earlier we found that in isolated rat liver mitochondria the reversible opening of the mitochondrial cyclosporin A-insensitive pore induced by low concentrations of palmitic acid (Pal) plus Ca(2+) results in the brief loss of Deltapsi [Mironova et al., J Bioenerg Biomembr (2004), 36:171-178]. Now we report that Pal and Ca(2+), increased to 30 and 70 nmol/mg protein respectively, induce a stable and prolonged (10 min) partial depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, the release of Ca(2+) and the swelling of mitochondria. Inhibitors of the Ca(2+) uniporter, ruthenium red and La(3+), as well as EGTA added in 10 min after the Pal/Ca(2+)-activated pore opening, prevent the release of Ca(2+) and repolarize the membrane to initial level. Similar effects can be observed in the absence of exogeneous Pal, upon mitochondria accumulating high [Sr(2+)], which leads to the activation of phospholipase A(2) and appearance of endogenous fatty acids. The paper proposes a new model of the mitochondrial Ca(2+) cycle, in which Ca(2+) uptake is mediated by the Ca(2+) uniporter and Ca(2+) efflux occurs via a short-living Pal/Ca(2+)-activated pore.

Store-operated Orai1 and IP3 receptor-operated TRPC1 channel.

Store-operated channels (SOC) are known to be physiologically activated following agonist-induced IP3 production and depletion of Ca2+ stores. Here we present molecular,biophysical and mechanistic evidence that two ubiquitously expressed plasma membrane channels may be responsible for creating a complex and sometimes controversial SOC image: one being a real SOC encoded by Orai1 and activated exclusively upon depletion of Ca2+ stores (via iPLA2beta -dependent pathway), while the second one is an IP3 receptor-operated channel (IP3ROC) encoded by TRPC1 and activated via its conformational coupling with IP3 receptor. In RBL-2H3 cells endogenously expressing Orai1 and TRPC1, we unmasked and characterized whole-cell current through IP3ROC channels that was hiding behind some familiar fingerprints of ICRAC, a current through the classical Ca2+-selective SOC (CRAC) channels. We discriminated these currents by their molecular identity, selectivity and different requirements for store depletion, IP3, iPLA2beta and conformational coupling to IP3 receptor. New knowledge on the properties and coexistence of Orai1-encoded SOC and TRPC1-encoded IP3ROC, and the use of experimental approaches introduced in this manuscript should help avoid further confusion about these channels, and open new exciting possibilities for their independent studies