Connexin43 in cardiomyocyte mitochondria contributes to mitochondrial potassium uptake.

AIMS: Connexin43 is present at the inner membrane of cardiomyocyte mitochondria (mCx43), but its function remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study we verified the presence of mCx43 by a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach in purified mitochondrial preparations from mouse myocardium and determined by western blot analysis that the C-terminus of mCx43 is oriented towards the intermembrane space. Cross-linking studies with dimethylsuberimidate indicated the presence of Cx43 hexamers in mitochondrial membranes. The contribution of Cx43 to both mitochondrial dye uptake and K(+) flux was assessed in wild-type mice using hemichannel blockers and Cx43KI32 mice in which Cx43 had been replaced by Cx32. Uptake of the Cx43 hemichannel-permeant dye Lucifer Yellow was reduced in mitochondria from wild-type mice by two hemichannel blockers (carbenoxolone and heptanol) and in Cx43KI32 compared with wild-type mice. Mitochondrial K(+) influx (PBFI fluorescence) was decreased in digitonin-permeabilized cardiomyocytes from Cx32 mutants compared with wild-type mice, and addition of the Cx43 hemichannel blocker 18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid had an inhibitory effect on mitochondrial K(+) influx in wild-type cardiomyocytes, but not in cardiomyocytes from Cx32 mutants. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that mCx43 contributes to mitochondrial K(+) flux in cardiomyocytes, potentially by forming hemichannel-like structures.

Presence of connexin 43 in subsarcolemmal, but not in interfibrillar cardiomyocyte mitochondria.

Cardiomyocytes contain subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar (IFM) mitochondria, which differ in their respiratory and calcium retention capacity. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is located at the inner membrane of SSM, and Cx43 is involved in the cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning (IP). The function of Cx43-formed channels is regulated in part by phosphorylation at residues in the carboxy terminus of Cx43. The aim of the present study was (1) to investigate whether Cx43 is also present in IFM, and (2) to characterize its spatial orientation in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). Confirming previous findings, ADP-stimulated respiration was greater in IFM than in SSM from rat ventricles. In preparations from rats and mice not contaminated with sarcolemmal proteins, Cx43 was exclusively detected in SSM, but not in IFM by Western blot analysis (n = 6). SSM were exposed to different proteinase K concentrations to cleave peptide bonds, and Western blot analysis was performed for ATP synthase alpha (IMM, subunit in the matrix), uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3, IMM, intermembrane space epitope), and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD, matrix). At a proteinase K concentration of 50 microg/ml, immunoreactivities of all the analyzed proteins were completely lost. The use of 5 microg/ml proteinase K resulted in similarly reduced immunoreactivities for Cx43 (19.4 +/- 5.8% of untreated mitochondria, n = 6) and UCP3 (23.0 +/- 4%, n = 7), whereas the immunoreactivities of ATP synthase alpha (49.1 +/- 6.4%, n = 7) and MnSOD (79.9 +/- 17.4%, n = 6) were better preserved, suggesting that the carboxy terminus of Cx43 is directed towards the intermembrane space. The results were confirmed in digitonin-treated mitochondria. Taken together, Cx43 is exclusively localized in SSM, with its carboxy terminus directed towards the intermembrane space. Since loss of mitochondrial Cx43 abolishes IP's cardioprotection, SSM and IFM apparently differ in their function in the signal transduction of IP.

Corticosteroids reverse cytokine-induced block of survival and differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells from rats.

BACKGROUND: Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a frequent complication of preterm delivery. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) released from astrocytes and microglia activated by infection or ischemia have previously been shown to impair survival and maturation of oligodendrocyte progenitors and could thus be considered as potential factors contributing to the generation of this disease. The first goal of the present study was to investigate whether exposure of oligodendrocyte precursors to these cytokines arrests the maturation of ion currents in parallel to its effects on myelin proteins and morphological maturation. Secondly, in the search for agents, that can protect differentiating oligodendrocyte precursor cells from cytokine-induced damage we investigated effects of coapplications of corticosteroids with proinflammatory cytokines on the subsequent survival and differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. METHODS: To exclude influences from factors released from other cell types purified cultures of oligodendrocyte precursors were exposed to cytokines and/or steroids and allowed to differentiate for further 6 days in culture. Changes in membrane surface were investigated with capacitance recordings and Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy. Na+- and K+- currents were investigated using whole cell patch clamp recordings. The expression of myelin specific proteins was investigated using western blots and the precursor cells were identified using immunostaining with A2B5 antibodies. RESULTS: Surviving IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha treated cells continued to maintain voltage-activated Na+- and K+ currents characteristic for the immature cells after 6 days in differentiation medium. Corticosterone, dihydrocorticosterone and, most prominently dexamethasone, counteracted the deleterious effects of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha on cell survival, A2B5-immunostaining and expression of myelin basic protein. The most potent corticosteroid tested, dexamethasone, was shown to counteract cytokine effects on membrane surface extension and capacitance. Furthermore, coapplication of dexamethasone blocked the cytokine-induced downregulation of the inwardly rectifying potassium current in 80% of the precursor cells and restored the cytokine-blocked down-regulation of the voltage activated Na+- and K+ currents during subsequent differentiation. CONCLUSION: Our results show that treatment of oligodendrocyte precursors with the inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma block the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursors at the level of the differentiation of the voltage-gated ion currents. Co-treatment with corticosteroids at the time of cytokine application restores to a considerable extent survival and differentiation of oligodendrocytes at the level of morphological, myelin protein as well as ion current maturation suggesting the option for a functional restoration of cytokine-damaged immature oligodendrocytes.