ABSTRACT
The metabolism of glioma cells exhibits significant heterogeneity and is partially responsible for treatment outcomes. Given this variability, we hypothesized that the effectiveness of treatments targeting various metabolic pathways depends on the bioenergetic profiles and mitochondrial status of glioma cells. To this end, we analyzed mitochondrial biomass, mitochondrial protein density, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and glycolysis in a panel of eight glioma cell lines. Our findings revealed considerable variability: mitochondrial biomass varied by up to 3.2-fold, the density of mitochondrial proteins by up to 2.1-fold, and OXPHOS levels by up to 7.3-fold across the cell lines. Subsequently, we stratified glioma cell lines based on their mitochondrial status, OXPHOS, and bioenergetic fitness. Following this stratification, we utilized 16 compounds targeting key bioenergetic, mitochondrial, and related pathways to analyze the associations between induced changes in cell numbers, proliferation, and apoptosis with respect to their steady-state mitochondrial and bioenergetic metrics. Remarkably, a significant fraction of the treatments showed strong correlations with mitochondrial biomass and the density of mitochondrial proteins, suggesting that mitochondrial status may reflect glioma cell sensitivity to specific treatments. Overall, our results indicate that mitochondrial status and bioenergetics are linked to the efficacy of treatments targeting metabolic pathways in glioma.
Subject(s)
Biomass , Energy Metabolism , Glioma , Mitochondria , Mitochondrial Proteins , Oxidative Phosphorylation , Glioma/metabolism , Glioma/pathology , Humans , Cell Line, Tumor , Mitochondria/metabolism , Mitochondrial Proteins/metabolism , Cell Proliferation , Glycolysis , Brain Neoplasms/metabolism , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy , ApoptosisABSTRACT
The mechanism of an antioxidant action of water-soluble polyol - methanofullerenes C60[C9H10O4(OH)4]6 and C60[C13H18O4(OH)4]6 as the mild uncouplers of an oxidative phosphorylation and respiration is postulated. According to this mechanism, hydroxyl group of methanofullerenols can be protonated under excess of protons in the intermembrane space of hyperpolarized mitochondria. Protonation of fullerene derivatives is confirmed by the decrease in their negative Zeta potential in the pH below 5.4. Heavily protonated methanofullerenols become positively charged and move into the mitochondrial matrix. As a consequence, the proton gradient is dissipated, which causes a decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) and reduction in ROS production.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/pharmacology , Fullerenes/pharmacology , Mitochondria/drug effects , Polymers/pharmacology , Antioxidants/chemistry , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Fullerenes/chemistry , Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial/drug effects , Molecular Structure , Polymers/chemistry , Solubility , Structure-Activity Relationship , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
Here, we report for the first time on two novel water-soluble polyol-methanofullerenes which uncouple respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. A cytofluorimetric JC-1-based ratiometric assay was used to quantify mitochondrial potential Ψm in Yarrowia lipolytica cells exposed to the fullerenes tested. Both methanofullerenes significantly downregulated Ψm, thereby decreasing the subset of cells with high mitochondrial potential compared with intact control cells. The Ψm-low subset of Yarrowia lipolytica cells resulted from methanofullerenes exposure preserved physiological cell size and granularity patterns.
