Cyclosporin A binding to mitochondrial cyclophilin inhibits the permeability transition pore and protects hearts from ischaemia/reperfusion injury.

When loaded with high (pathological) levels of Ca2+, mitochondria become swollen and uncoupled as the result of a large nonspecific increase in membrane permeability. This process, known as the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), is exacerbated by oxidative stress and adenine nucleotide depletion. These conditions match those that a heart experiences during reperfusion following a period of ischaemia. The MPT is caused by the opening of a non-specific pore that can be prevented by sub-micromolar concentrations of cyclosporin A (CsA). A variety of conditions that increase the sensitivity of pore opening to [Ca2+], such as thiol modification, oxidative stress, increased matrix volume and chaotropic agents, all enhance the binding of matrix cyclophilin (CyP) to the inner mitochondrial membrane in a CsA-sensitive manner. In contrast, ADP, membrane potential and low pH decrease the sensitivity of pore opening to [Ca2+] without affecting CyP binding. We present a model of pore opening involving CyP binding to a membrane target protein followed by Ca(2+)-dependent triggering of a conformational change to induce channel opening. Using the ischaemic/reperfused rat heart we have shown that the mitochondrial pore does not open during ischaemia, but does do so during reperfusion. Recovery of heart during reperfusion is improved in the presence of 0.2 microM CsA, suggesting that the MPT may be critical in the transition from reversible to irreversible reperfusion injury.

Oxidative stress, thiol reagents, and membrane potential modulate the mitochondrial permeability transition by affecting nucleotide binding to the adenine nucleotide translocase.

Stimulation of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in de-energized mitochondria by phenylarsine oxide (PheArs) is greater than that by diamide and t-butylhydroperoxide (TBH), yet the increase in CyP binding to the inner mitochondrial membrane (Connern, C. P. and Halestrap, A. P. (1994) Biochem. J. 302, 321-324) is less. From a range of nucleotides tested only ADP, deoxy-ADP, and ATP inhibited the MPT. ADP inhibition involved two sites with Ki values of about 1 and 25 microM which were independent of [Ca2+] and CyP binding. Carboxyatractyloside (CAT) abolished the high affinity site. Following pretreatment of mitochondria with TBH or diamide, the Ki for ADP increased to 50-100 microM, whereas pretreatment with PheArs or eosin maleimide increased the Ki to >500 microM; only one inhibitory site was observed in both cases. Eosin maleimide is known to attack Cys159 of the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) in a CAT-sensitive manner (Majima, E., Shinohara, Y., Yamaguchi, N., Hong, Y. M., and Terada, H. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 9530-9536), and here we demonstrate CAT-sensitive binding of the ANT to a PheArs affinity column. In adenine nucleotide-depleted mitochondria, no stimulation of the MPT by uncoupler was observed in the presence or absence of thiol reagents, suggesting that membrane potential may inhibit the MPT by increasing adenine nucleotide binding through an effect on the ANT conformation. We conclude that CsA and ADP inhibit pore opening in distinct ways, CsA by displacing bound CyP and ADP by binding to the ANT. Both mechanisms act to decrease the Ca2+ sensitivity of the pore. Thiol reagents and oxidative stress may modify two thiol groups on the ANT and thus stimulate pore opening by both means.

Chaotropic agents and increased matrix volume enhance binding of mitochondrial cyclophilin to the inner mitochondrial membrane and sensitize the mitochondrial permeability transition to [Ca2+].

Binding of mitochondrial cyclophilin (CyP) to the inner mitochondrial membrane is induced by treatment of mitochondria with thiol reagents or oxidative stress and correlates with a sensitization to [Ca2+] of the cyclosporin A-sensitive mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MTP) [Connern, C. P., & Halestrap, A. P. (1994) Biochem. J. 303, 321-324]. Here we show that detection of the bound CyP by Western blotting is greatly enhanced by fixing the CyP to the blotting membrane with glutaraldehyde. CyP binding was only observed when mitochondria were incubated and then frozen in KSCN medium before preparation of the membrane fraction, but not when KCl medium was used. However, incubation of mitochondria (energized or deenergized) in KCl medium followed by KSCN addition immediately prior to freezing did allow CyP binding to be detected. The action of KSCN could be mimicked by guanidinium chloride, implying that the chaotropic action of these agents stabilized the bound complex. The sensitivity to [Ca2+] of the MTP in deenergized mitochondria was greatly enhanced in KSCN medium as compared to KCl medium. Binding of CyP to the mitochondrial membrane was increased by treatment with tert-butylhydroperoxide, phenylarsine oxide, and diamide and by hypoosmotic KCl medium. These conditions all increased the sensitivity of the MTP to [Ca2+]. Conditions known to increase the mitochondrial NADH/NAD+ ratio decreased CyP binding. In contrast, the effects of mitochondrial membrane potential, matrix pH, and adenine nucleotide translocase conformation on the sensitivity of the MTP to [Ca2+] were not associated with a change in CyP binding. Our data imply that there may be two independent mechanisms of altering the Ca2+ sensitivity of the MTP, one brought about by CyP binding which is stabilized by chaotropic agents and another involving additional regulatory sites on the pore complex.

Recruitment of mitochondrial cyclophilin to the mitochondrial inner membrane under conditions of oxidative stress that enhance the opening of a calcium-sensitive non-specific channel.

Binding of mitochondrial matrix cyclophilin (CyP) to the rat liver mitochondrial membranes was detected by SDS/PAGE and Western blotting with suitable antipeptide antibodies. Binding was not affected by prior exposure of mitochondria to Ca2+, adenine nucleotides or inhibitors of the adenine nucleotide translocase, but was greatly increased by t-butyl hydroperoxide (tBH), phenylarsine oxide or diamide. These all sensitized the opening of the non-specific mitochondrial pore to [Ca2+], and the effect of tBH was shown to be maintained after washing away the tBH, consistent with it being caused by the enhanced CyP binding. The bound CyP did not demonstrate peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity. CyP-binding was prevented by 5 microM cyclosporin A, but not reversed by cyclosporin treatment of the membranes. The effect of tBH on binding was concentration-dependent and maximal within 30 s.

Purification and N-terminal sequencing of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans-isomerase from rat liver mitochondrial matrix reveals the existence of a distinct mitochondrial cyclophilin.

1. Rat liver mitochondrial matrix peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans-isomerase (PPIase) has been purified. The major form of the enzyme has a molecular mass of 18.6 kDa, with a minor active component of 17.6 kDa. 2. The second-order rate constant for cyclosporin A binding to the enzyme was determined from the time-dependence of the inhibition of PPIase by low concentrations of cyclosporin A and found to be 0.9 microM-1.s-1 at 10 degrees C. 3. The Ki for cyclosporin A inhibition of the enzyme was 3.6 nM, and the half-life for dissociation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex was 3.6 min. 4. From the specific activity of the pure enzyme it can be calculated that isolated liver mitochondria contain approx. 45 pmol of enzyme per mg of total mitochondrial protein. Higher values estimated previously [Halestrap & Davidson (1990) Biochem. J. 268, 153-160] are explained by the use of a short (30 s) preincubation period of the enzyme with cyclosporin, which is insufficient to allow full equilibration of the binding of the inhibitor to the PPIase. 5. N-Terminal sequencing of the 18.6 and 17.5 kDa forms of PPIase show the presence of mitochondrial presequences of 13 and three amino acids respectively, with the remaining sequence having a strong sequence similarity to other cyclophilins. 6. Parallel purification and N-terminal sequencing of rat cytosolic PPIase showed the two proteins to have significant differences, implying that they are probably products of separate genes.

Ethylene: receptors and action.

The characterisation and purification of the ethylene binding protein from developing cotyledons of Phaseolus vulgaris is described. Polyclonal antibodies to this protein recognise homologous proteins in peas, tomatoes and Arabidopsis. Direct binding assays and results from immunological studies indicate that more binding protein is present in abscission zones of Phaseolus than in petioles; ethylene treatment increases binding site abundance in abscission zones. Binding sites for ethylene in peas. Arabidopsis and rice are described indicating that there exist two classes differing only in their rate constants of association and dissociation. Arabidopsis mutants wholly insensitive to ethylene may be receptor deficient and their possible use in receptor studies is assessed. It is proposed that those binding sites with high rate constants of association are functional receptors. The sites with low rate constants of association may be receptors but may also represent receptor precursors or internalised receptors.