The inhibitor protein IF1 from mammalian mitochondria inhibits ATP hydrolysis but not ATP synthesis by the ATP synthase complex.

The hydrolytic activity of the ATP synthase in bovine mitochondria is inhibited by a protein called IF1, but bovine IF1 has no effect on the synthetic activity of the bovine enzyme in mitochondrial vesicles in the presence of a proton motive force. In contrast, it has been suggested based on indirect observations that human IFI inhibits both the hydrolytic and synthetic activities of the human ATP synthase and that the activity of human IF1 is regulated by the phosphorylation of Ser-14 of mature IF1. Here, we have made both human and bovine IF1 which are 81 and 84 amino acids long, respectively, and identical in 71.4% of their amino acids and have investigated their inhibitory effects on the hydrolytic and synthetic activities of ATP synthase in bovine submitochondrial particles. Over a wide range of conditions, including physiological conditions, both human and bovine IF1 are potent inhibitors of ATP hydrolysis, with no effect on ATP synthesis. Also, substitution of Ser-14 with phosphomimetic aspartic and glutamic acids had no effect on inhibitory properties, and Ser-14 is not conserved throughout mammals. Therefore, it is unlikely that the inhibitory activity of mammalian IF1 is regulated by phosphorylation of this residue.

TTC19 Plays a Husbandry Role on UQCRFS1 Turnover in the Biogenesis of Mitochondrial Respiratory Complex III.

Loss-of-function mutations in TTC19 (tetra-tricopeptide repeat domain 19) have been associated with severe neurological phenotypes and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex III deficiency. We previously demonstrated the mitochondrial localization of TTC19 and its link with complex III biogenesis. Here we provide detailed insight into the mechanistic role of TTC19, by investigating a Ttc19?/? mouse model that shows progressive neurological and metabolic decline, decreased complex III activity, and increased production of reactive oxygen species. By using both the Ttc19?/? mouse model and a range of human cell lines, we demonstrate that TTC19 binds to the fully assembled complex III dimer, i.e., after the incorporation of the iron-sulfur Rieske protein (UQCRFS1). The in situ maturation of UQCRFS1 produces N-terminal polypeptides, which remain bound to holocomplex III. We show that, in normal conditions, these UQCRFS1 fragments are rapidly removed, but when TTC19 is absent they accumulate within complex III, causing its structural and functional impairment.

Respiratory supercomplexes act as a platform for complex III-mediated maturation of human mitochondrial complexes I and IV.

Mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) enzymes associate in supercomplexes (SCs) that are structurally interdependent. This may explain why defects in a single component often produce combined enzyme deficiencies in patients. A case in point is the alleged destabilization of complex I in the absence of complex III. To clarify the structural and functional relationships between complexes, we have used comprehensive proteomic, functional, and biogenetical approaches to analyze a MT-CYB-deficient human cell line. We show that the absence of complex III blocks complex I biogenesis by preventing the incorporation of the NADH module rather than decreasing its stability. In addition, complex IV subunits appeared sequestered within complex III subassemblies, leading to defective complex IV assembly as well. Therefore, we propose that complex III is central for MRC maturation and SC formation. Our results challenge the notion that SC biogenesis requires the pre-formation of fully assembled individual complexes. In contrast, they support a cooperative-assembly model in which the main role of complex III in SCs is to provide a structural and functional platform for the completion of overall MRC biogenesis.

TMEM70 and TMEM242 help to assemble the rotor ring of human ATP synthase and interact with assembly factors for complex I.

Human mitochondrial ATP synthase is a molecular machine with a rotary action bound in the inner organellar membranes. Turning of the rotor, driven by a proton motive force, provides energy to make ATP from ADP and phosphate. Among the 29 component proteins of 18 kinds, ATP6 and ATP8 are mitochondrial gene products, and the rest are nuclear gene products that are imported into the organelle. The ATP synthase is assembled from them via intermediate modules representing the main structural elements of the enzyme. One such module is the c8-ring, which provides the membrane sector of the enzyme's rotor, and its assembly is influenced by another transmembrane (TMEM) protein, TMEM70. We have shown that subunit c interacts with TMEM70 and another hitherto unidentified mitochondrial transmembrane protein, TMEM242. Deletion of TMEM242, similar to deletion of TMEM70, affects but does not completely eliminate the assembly of ATP synthase, and to a lesser degree the assembly of respiratory enzyme complexes I, III, and IV. Deletion of TMEM70 and TMEM242 together prevents assembly of ATP synthase and the impact on complex I is enhanced. Removal of TMEM242, but not of TMEM70, also affects the introduction of subunits ATP6, ATP8, j, and k into the enzyme. TMEM70 and TMEM242 interact with the mitochondrial complex I assembly (the MCIA) complex that supports assembly of the membrane arm of complex I. The interactions of TMEM70 and TMEM242 with MCIA could be part of either the assembly of ATP synthase and complex I or the regulation of their levels.

Assembly of the peripheral stalk of ATP synthase in human mitochondria.

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase in human mitochondria is a membrane bound assembly of 29 proteins of 18 kinds organized into F1-catalytic, peripheral stalk (PS), and c8-rotor ring modules. All but two membrane components are encoded in nuclear genes, synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes, imported into the mitochondrial matrix, and assembled into the complex with the mitochondrial gene products ATP6 and ATP8. Intermediate vestigial ATPase complexes formed by disruption of nuclear genes for individual subunits provide a description of how the various domains are introduced into the enzyme. From this approach, it is evident that three alternative pathways operate to introduce the PS module (including associated membrane subunits e, f, and g). In one pathway, the PS is built up by addition to the core subunit b of membrane subunits e and g together, followed by membrane subunit f. Then this b-e-g-f complex is bound to the preformed F1-c8 module by subunits OSCP and F6 The final component of the PS, subunit d, is added subsequently to form a key intermediate that accepts the two mitochondrially encoded subunits. In another route to this key intermediate, first e and g together and then f are added to a preformed F1-c8-OSCP-F6-b-d complex. A third route involves the addition of the c8-ring module to the complete F1-PS complex. The key intermediate then accepts the two mitochondrially encoded subunits, stabilized by the addition of subunit j, leading to an ATP synthase complex that is coupled to the proton motive force and capable of making ATP.

Persistence of the permeability transition pore in human mitochondria devoid of an assembled ATP synthase.

The opening of the permeability transition pore, a nonspecific channel in inner mitochondrial membranes, is triggered by an elevated total concentration of calcium ions in the mitochondrial matrix, leading to disruption of the inner membrane and necrotic cell death. Cyclosporin A inhibits pore opening by binding to cyclophilin D, which interacts with the pore. It has been proposed that the pore is associated with the ATP synthase complex. Previously, we confirmed an earlier observation that the pore survives in cells lacking membrane subunits ATP6 and ATP8 of ATP synthase, and in other cells lacking the enzyme's c8 rotor ring or, separately, its peripheral stalk subunits b and oligomycin sensitive conferral protein. Here, we investigated whether the pore is associated with the remaining membrane subunits of the enzyme. Individual deletion of subunits e, f, g, and 6.8-kDa proteolipid disrupts dimerization of the complex, and deletion of DAPIT (diabetes-associated protein in insulin sensitive tissue) possibly influences oligomerization of dimers, but removal of each subunit had no effect on the pore. Also, we removed together the enzyme's membrane bound c8 ring and the δ-subunit from the catalytic domain. The resulting cells assemble only a subcomplex derived from the peripheral stalk and membrane-associated proteins. Despite diminished levels of respiratory complexes, these cells generate a membrane potential to support uptake of calcium into the mitochondria, leading to pore opening, and retention of its characteristic properties. It is most unlikely that the ATP synthase, dimer or monomer, or any component, provides the permeability transition pore.

METTL15 introduces N4-methylcytidine into human mitochondrial 12S rRNA and is required for mitoribosome biogenesis.

Post-transcriptional RNA modifications, the epitranscriptome, play important roles in modulating the functions of RNA species. Modifications of rRNA are key for ribosome production and function. Identification and characterization of enzymes involved in epitranscriptome shaping is instrumental for the elucidation of the functional roles of specific RNA modifications. Ten modified sites have been thus far identified in the mammalian mitochondrial rRNA. Enzymes responsible for two of these modifications have not been characterized. Here, we identify METTL15, show that it is the main N4-methylcytidine (m4C) methyltransferase in human cells and demonstrate that it is responsible for the methylation of position C839 in mitochondrial 12S rRNA. We show that the lack of METTL15 results in a reduction of the mitochondrial de novo protein synthesis and decreased steady-state levels of protein components of the oxidative phosphorylation system. Without functional METTL15, the assembly of the mitochondrial ribosome is decreased, with the late assembly components being unable to be incorporated efficiently into the small subunit. We speculate that m4C839 is involved in the stabilization of 12S rRNA folding, therefore facilitating the assembly of the mitochondrial small ribosomal subunits. Taken together our data show that METTL15 is a novel protein necessary for efficient translation in human mitochondria.

Assembly of the membrane domain of ATP synthase in human mitochondria.

The ATP synthase in human mitochondria is a membrane-bound assembly of 29 proteins of 18 kinds. All but two membrane components are encoded in nuclear genes, synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes, and imported into the matrix of the organelle, where they are assembled into the complex with ATP6 and ATP8, the products of overlapping genes in mitochondrial DNA. Disruption of individual human genes for the nuclear-encoded subunits in the membrane portion of the enzyme leads to the formation of intermediate vestigial ATPase complexes that provide a description of the pathway of assembly of the membrane domain. The key intermediate complex consists of the F1-c8 complex inhibited by the ATPase inhibitor protein IF1 and attached to the peripheral stalk, with subunits e, f, and g associated with the membrane domain of the peripheral stalk. This intermediate provides the template for insertion of ATP6 and ATP8, which are synthesized on mitochondrial ribosomes. Their association with the complex is stabilized by addition of the 6.8 proteolipid, and the complex is coupled to ATP synthesis at this point. A structure of the dimeric yeast Fo membrane domain is consistent with this model of assembly. The human 6.8 proteolipid (yeast j subunit) locks ATP6 and ATP8 into the membrane assembly, and the monomeric complexes then dimerize via interactions between ATP6 subunits and between 6.8 proteolipids (j subunits). The dimers are linked together back-to-face by DAPIT (diabetes-associated protein in insulin-sensitive tissue; yeast subunit k), forming long oligomers along the edges of the cristae.

Permeability transition in human mitochondria persists in the absence of peripheral stalk subunits of ATP synthase.

The opening of a nonspecific channel, known as the permeability transition pore (PTP), in the inner membranes of mitochondria can be triggered by calcium ions, leading to swelling of the organelle, disruption of the inner membrane and ATP synthesis, and cell death. Pore opening can be inhibited by cyclosporin A mediated via cyclophilin D. It has been proposed that the pore is associated with the dimeric ATP synthase and the oligomycin sensitivity conferral protein (OSCP), a component of the enzyme's peripheral stalk, provides the site at which cyclophilin D interacts. Subunit b contributes a central α-helical structure to the peripheral stalk, extending from near the top of the enzyme's catalytic domain and crossing the membrane domain of the enzyme via two α-helices. We investigated the possible involvement of the subunit b and the OSCP in the PTP by generating clonal cells, HAP1-Δb and HAP1-ΔOSCP, lacking the membrane domain of subunit b or the OSCP, respectively, in which the corresponding genes, ATP5F1 and ATP5O, had been disrupted. Both cell lines preserve the characteristic properties of the PTP; therefore, the membrane domain of subunit b does not contribute to the PTP, and the OSCP does not provide the site of interaction with cyclophilin D. The membrane subunits ATP6, ATP8, and subunit c have been eliminated previously from possible participation in the PTP; thus, the only subunits of ATP synthase that could participate in pore formation are e, f, g, diabetes-associated protein in insulin-sensitive tissues (DAPIT), and the 6.8-kDa proteolipid.

Persistence of the mitochondrial permeability transition in the absence of subunit c of human ATP synthase.

The permeability transition in human mitochondria refers to the opening of a nonspecific channel, known as the permeability transition pore (PTP), in the inner membrane. Opening can be triggered by calcium ions, leading to swelling of the organelle, disruption of the inner membrane, and ATP synthesis, followed by cell death. Recent proposals suggest that the pore is associated with the ATP synthase complex and specifically with the ring of c-subunits that constitute the membrane domain of the enzyme's rotor. The c-subunit is produced from three nuclear genes, ATP5G1, ATP5G2, and ATP5G3, encoding identical copies of the mature protein with different mitochondrial-targeting sequences that are removed during their import into the organelle. To investigate the involvement of the c-subunit in the PTP, we generated a clonal cell, HAP1-A12, from near-haploid human cells, in which ATP5G1, ATP5G2, and ATP5G3 were disrupted. The HAP1-A12 cells are incapable of producing the c-subunit, but they preserve the characteristic properties of the PTP. Therefore, the c-subunit does not provide the PTP. The mitochondria in HAP1-A12 cells assemble a vestigial ATP synthase, with intact F1-catalytic and peripheral stalk domains and the supernumerary subunits e, f, and g, but lacking membrane subunits ATP6 and ATP8. The same vestigial complex plus associated c-subunits was characterized from human 143B ρ0 cells, which cannot make the subunits ATP6 and ATP8, but retain the PTP. Therefore, none of the membrane subunits of the ATP synthase that are involved directly in transmembrane proton translocation is involved in forming the PTP.

Identification and quantification of protein S-nitrosation by nitrite in the mouse heart during ischemia.

Nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) are known to be cardioprotective and to alter energy metabolism in vivo NO3- action results from its conversion to NO2- by salivary bacteria, but the mechanism(s) by which NO2- affects metabolism remains obscure. NO2- may act by S-nitrosating protein thiols, thereby altering protein activity. But how this occurs, and the functional importance of S-nitrosation sites across the mammalian proteome, remain largely uncharacterized. Here we analyzed protein thiols within mouse hearts in vivo using quantitative proteomics to determine S-nitrosation site occupancy. We extended the thiol-redox proteomic technique, isotope-coded affinity tag labeling, to quantify the extent of NO2--dependent S-nitrosation of proteins thiols in vivo Using this approach, called SNOxICAT (S-nitrosothiol redox isotope-coded affinity tag), we found that exposure to NO2- under normoxic conditions or exposure to ischemia alone results in minimal S-nitrosation of protein thiols. However, exposure to NO2- in conjunction with ischemia led to extensive S-nitrosation of protein thiols across all cellular compartments. Several mitochondrial protein thiols exposed to the mitochondrial matrix were selectively S-nitrosated under these conditions, potentially contributing to the beneficial effects of NO2- on mitochondrial metabolism. The permeability of the mitochondrial inner membrane to HNO2, but not to NO2-, combined with the lack of S-nitrosation during anoxia alone or by NO2- during normoxia places constraints on how S-nitrosation occurs in vivo and on its mechanisms of cardioprotection and modulation of energy metabolism. Quantifying S-nitrosated protein thiols now allows determination of modified cysteines across the proteome and identification of those most likely responsible for the functional consequences of NO2- exposure.

NDUFAF5 Hydroxylates NDUFS7 at an Early Stage in the Assembly of Human Complex I.

Complex I (NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase) in mammalian mitochondria is an L-shaped assembly of 45 proteins. One arm lies in the inner membrane, and the other extends about 100 Å into the matrix of the organelle. The extrinsic arm contains binding sites for NADH, the primary electron acceptor FMN, and seven iron-sulfur clusters that form a pathway for electrons linking FMN to the terminal electron acceptor, ubiquinone, which is bound in a tunnel in the region of the junction between the arms. The membrane arm contains four antiporter-like domains, energetically coupled to the quinone site and involved in pumping protons from the matrix into the intermembrane space contributing to the proton motive force. Seven of the subunits, forming the core of the membrane arm, are translated from mitochondrial genes, and the remaining subunits, the products of nuclear genes, are imported from the cytosol. Their assembly is coordinated by at least thirteen extrinsic assembly factor proteins that are not part of the fully assembled complex. They assist in insertion of co-factors and in building up the complex from smaller sub-assemblies. One such factor, NDUFAF5, belongs to the family of seven-ß-strand S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferases. However, similar to another family member, RdmB, it catalyzes the introduction of a hydroxyl group, in the case of NDUFAF5, into Arg-73 in the NDUFS7 subunit of human complex I. This modification occurs early in the pathway of assembly of complex I, before the formation of the juncture between peripheral and membrane arms.

Conservation of complete trimethylation of lysine-43 in the rotor ring of c-subunits of metazoan adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthases.

The rotors of ATP synthases turn about 100 times every second. One essential component of the rotor is a ring of hydrophobic c-subunits in the membrane domain of the enzyme. The rotation of these c-rings is driven by a transmembrane proton-motive force, and they turn against a surface provided by another membrane protein, known as subunit a. Together, the rotating c-ring and the static subunit a provide a pathway for protons through the membrane in which the c-ring and subunit a are embedded. Vertebrate and invertebrate c-subunits are well conserved. In the structure of the bovine F1-ATPase-c-ring subcomplex, the 75 amino acid c-subunit is folded into two transmembrane α-helices linked by a short loop. Each bovine rotor-ring consists of eight c-subunits with the N- and C-terminal α-helices forming concentric inner and outer rings, with the loop regions exposed to the phospholipid head-group region on the matrix side of the inner membrane. Lysine-43 is in the loop region and its ε-amino group is completely trimethylated. The role of this modification is unknown. If the trimethylated lysine-43 plays some important role in the functioning, assembly or degradation of the c-ring, it would be expected to persist throughout vertebrates and possibly invertebrates also. Therefore, we have carried out a proteomic analysis of c-subunits across representative species from different classes of vertebrates and from invertebrate phyla. In the twenty-nine metazoan species that have been examined, the complete methylation of lysine-43 is conserved, and it is likely to be conserved throughout the more than two million extant metazoan species. In unicellular eukaryotes and prokaryotes, when the lysine is conserved it is unmethylated, and the stoichiometries of c-subunits vary from 9-15. One possible role for the trimethylated residue is to provide a site for the specific binding of cardiolipin, an essential component of ATP synthases in mitochondria.

Organization of Subunits in the Membrane Domain of the Bovine F-ATPase Revealed by Covalent Cross-linking.

The F-ATPase in bovine mitochondria is a membrane-bound complex of about 30 subunits of 18 different kinds. Currently, ∼85% of its structure is known. The enzyme has a membrane extrinsic catalytic domain, and a membrane intrinsic domain where the turning of the enzyme's rotor is generated from the transmembrane proton-motive force. The domains are linked by central and peripheral stalks. The central stalk and a hydrophobic ring of c-subunits in the membrane domain constitute the enzyme's rotor. The external surface of the catalytic domain and membrane subunit a are linked by the peripheral stalk, holding them static relative to the rotor. The membrane domain contains six additional subunits named ATP8, e, f, g, DAPIT (diabetes-associated protein in insulin-sensitive tissues), and 6.8PL (6.8-kDa proteolipid), each with a single predicted transmembrane α-helix, but their orientation and topography are unknown. Mutations in ATP8 uncouple the enzyme and interfere with its assembly, but its roles and the roles of the other five subunits are largely unknown. We have reacted accessible amino groups in the enzyme with bifunctional cross-linking agents and identified the linked residues. Cross-links involving the supernumerary subunits, where the structures are not known, show that the C terminus of ATP8 extends ∼70 Å from the membrane into the peripheral stalk and that the N termini of the other supernumerary subunits are on the same side of the membrane, probably in the mitochondrial matrix. These experiments contribute significantly toward building up a complete structural picture of the F-ATPase.

The purification and characterization of ATP synthase complexes from the mitochondria of four fungal species.

The ATP synthases have been isolated by affinity chromatography from the mitochondria of the fungal species Yarrowia lipolytica, Pichia pastoris, Pichia angusta and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The subunit compositions of the purified enzyme complexes depended on the detergent used to solubilize and purify the complex, and the presence or absence of exogenous phospholipids. All four enzymes purified in the presence of n-dodecyl-ß-D-maltoside had a complete complement of core subunits involved directly in the synthesis of ATP, but they were deficient to different extents in their supernumerary membrane subunits. In contrast, the enzymes from P. angusta and S. cerevisiae purified in the presence of n-decyl-ß-maltose neopentyl glycol and the phospholipids 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, cardiolipin (diphosphatidylglycerol) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] had a complete complement of core subunits and also contained all of the known supernumerary membrane subunits, e, f, g, j, k and ATP8 (or Aap1), plus an additional new membrane component named subunit l, related in sequence to subunit k. The catalytic domain of the enzyme from P. angusta was more resistant to thermal denaturation than the enzyme from S. cerevisiae, but less stable than the catalytic domain of the bovine enzyme, but the stator and the integrity of the transmembrane proton pathway were most stable in the enzyme from P. angusta. The P. angusta enzyme provides a suitable source of enzyme for studying the structure of the membrane domain and properties associated with that sector of the enzyme complex.

Assembly factors for the membrane arm of human complex I.

Mitochondrial respiratory complex I is a product of both the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. The integration of seven subunits encoded in mitochondrial DNA into the inner membrane, their association with 14 nuclear-encoded membrane subunits, the construction of the extrinsic arm from 23 additional nuclear-encoded proteins, iron-sulfur clusters, and flavin mononucleotide cofactor require the participation of assembly factors. Some are intrinsic to the complex, whereas others participate transiently. The suppression of the expression of the NDUFA11 subunit of complex I disrupted the assembly of the complex, and subcomplexes with masses of 550 and 815 kDa accumulated. Eight of the known extrinsic assembly factors plus a hydrophobic protein, C3orf1, were associated with the subcomplexes. The characteristics of C3orf1, of another assembly factor, TMEM126B, and of NDUFA11 suggest that they all participate in constructing the membrane arm of complex I.

Human METTL20 methylates lysine residues adjacent to the recognition loop of the electron transfer flavoprotein in mitochondria.

In mammalian mitochondria, protein methylation is a relatively uncommon post-transcriptional modification, and the extent of the mitochondrial protein methylome, the modifying methyltransferases, and their substrates have been little studied. As shown here, the ß-subunit of the electron transfer flavoprotein (ETF) is one such methylated protein. The ETF is a heterodimer of α- and ß-subunits. Lysine residues 199 and 202 of mature ETFß are almost completely trimethylated in bovine heart mitochondria, whereas ETFα is not methylated. The enzyme responsible for the modifications was identified as methyltransferase-like protein 20 (METTL20). In human 143B cells, the methylation of ETFß is less extensive and is diminished further by suppression of METTL20. Tagged METTL20 expressed in HEK293T cells specifically associates with the ETF and promotes the trimethylation of ETFß lysine residues 199 and 202. ETF serves as a mobile electron carrier linking dehydrogenases involved in fatty acid oxidation and one-carbon metabolism to the membrane-associated ubiquinone pool. The methylated residues in ETFß are immediately adjacent to a protein loop that recognizes and binds to the dehydrogenases. Suppression of trimethylation of ETFß in mouse C2C12 cells oxidizing palmitate as an energy source reduced the consumption of oxygen by the cells. These experiments suggest that the oxidation of fatty acids in mitochondria and the passage of electrons via the ETF may be controlled by modulating the protein-protein interactions between the reduced dehydrogenases and the ß-subunit of the ETF by trimethylation of lysine residues. METTL20 is the first lysine methyltransferase to be found to be associated with mitochondria.

Using exomarkers to assess mitochondrial reactive species in vivo.

BACKGROUND: The ability to measure the concentrations of small damaging and signalling molecules such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo is essential to understanding their biological roles. While a range of methods can be applied to in vitro systems, measuring the levels and relative changes in reactive species in vivo is challenging. SCOPE OF REVIEW: One approach towards achieving this goal is the use of exomarkers. In this, exogenous probe compounds are administered to the intact organism and are then transformed by the reactive molecules in vivo to produce a diagnostic exomarker. The exomarker and the precursor probe can be analysed ex vivo to infer the identity and amounts of the reactive species present in vivo. This is akin to the measurement of biomarkers produced by the interaction of reactive species with endogenous biomolecules. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our laboratories have developed mitochondria-targeted probes that generate exomarkers that can be analysed ex vivo by mass spectrometry to assess levels of reactive species within mitochondria in vivo. We have used one of these compounds, MitoB, to infer the levels of mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide within flies and mice. Here we describe the development of MitoB and expand on this example to discuss how better probes and exomarkers can be developed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Current methods to study reactive oxygen species - pros and cons and biophysics of membrane proteins. Guest Editor: Christine Winterbourn.

Post-translational modifications near the quinone binding site of mammalian complex I.

Complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) in mammalian mitochondria is an L-shaped assembly of 44 protein subunits with one arm buried in the inner membrane of the mitochondrion and the orthogonal arm protruding about 100 Å into the matrix. The protruding arm contains the binding sites for NADH, the primary acceptor of electrons flavin mononucleotide (FMN), and a chain of seven iron-sulfur clusters that carries the electrons one at a time from FMN to a coenzyme Q molecule bound in the vicinity of the junction between the two arms. In the structure of the closely related bacterial enzyme from Thermus thermophilus, the quinone is thought to bind in a tunnel that spans the interface between the two arms, with the quinone head group close to the terminal iron-sulfur cluster, N2. The tail of the bound quinone is thought to extend from the tunnel into the lipid bilayer. In the mammalian enzyme, it is likely that this tunnel involves three of the subunits of the complex, ND1, PSST, and the 49-kDa subunit. An arginine residue in the 49-kDa subunit is symmetrically dimethylated on the ω-N(G) and ω-N(G') nitrogen atoms of the guanidino group and is likely to be close to cluster N2 and to influence its properties. Another arginine residue in the PSST subunit is hydroxylated and probably lies near to the quinone. Both modifications are conserved in mammalian enzymes, and the former is additionally conserved in Pichia pastoris and Paracoccus denitrificans, suggesting that they are functionally significant.

NDUFAF7 methylates arginine 85 in the NDUFS2 subunit of human complex I.

Complex I (NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase) in mammalian mitochondria is an L-shaped assembly of 44 subunits. One arm is embedded in the inner membrane with the other protruding ∼100 Å into the matrix of the organelle. The extrinsic arm contains binding sites for NADH and the primary electron acceptor FMN, and it provides a scaffold for seven iron-sulfur clusters that form an electron pathway linking FMN to the terminal electron acceptor, ubiquinone, which is bound in the region of the junction between the arms. The membrane arm contains four antiporter-like domains, probably energetically coupled to the quinone site and involved in pumping protons from the matrix into the intermembrane space contributing to the proton motive force. Complex I is put together from preassembled subcomplexes. Their compositions have been characterized partially, and at least 12 extrinsic assembly factor proteins are required for the assembly of the complex. One such factor, NDUFAF7, is predicted to belong to the family of S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferases characterized by the presence in their structures of a seven-ß-strand protein fold. In the present study, the presence of NDUFAF7 in the mitochondrial matrix has been confirmed, and it has been demonstrated that it is a protein methylase that symmetrically dimethylates the ω-N(G),N(G') atoms of residue Arg-85 in the NDUFS2 subunit of complex I. This methylation step occurs early in the assembly of complex I and probably stabilizes a 400-kDa subcomplex that forms the initial nucleus of the peripheral arm and its juncture with the membrane arm.