Search

IMS (intermembrane space) SOD1 (Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase) is inactive in isolated intact rat liver mitochondria and is activated following oxidative modification of its critical thiol groups. The present study aimed to identify biochemical pathways implicated in the regulation of IMS SOD1 activity and to assess the impact of its functional state on key mitochondrial events. Exogenous H2O2 (5 microM) activated SOD1 in intact mitochondria. However, neither H2O2 alone nor H2O2 in the presence of mitochondrial peroxiredoxin III activated SOD1, which was purified from mitochondria and subsequently reduced by dithiothreitol to an inactive state. The reduced enzyme was activated following incubation with the superoxide generating system, xanthine and xanthine oxidase. In intact mitochondria, the extent and duration of SOD1 activation was inversely correlated with mitochondrial superoxide production. The presence of TxrR-1 (thioredoxin reductase-1) was demonstrated in the mitochondrial IMS by Western blotting. Inhibitors of TxrR-1, CDNB (1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene) or auranofin, prolonged the duration of H2O2-induced SOD1 activity in intact mitochondria. TxrR-1 inactivated SOD1 purified from mitochondria in an active oxidized state. Activation of IMS SOD1 by exogenous H2O2 delayed CaCl2-induced loss of transmembrane potential, decreased cytochrome c release and markedly prevented superoxide-induced loss of aconitase activity in intact mitochondria respiring at state-3. These findings suggest that H2O2, superoxide and TxrR-1 regulate IMS SOD1 activity reversibly, and that the active enzyme is implicated in protecting vital mitochondrial functions. more...

The localization of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase in the mitochondrial intermembrane space suggests a functional relationship with superoxide anion (O2*-) released into this compartment. The present study was aimed at examining the functionality of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase and elucidating the molecular basis for its activation in the intermembrane space. Intact rat liver mitochondria neither scavenged nor dismutated externally generated O2*-, unless the mitochondrial outer membrane was disrupted selectively by digitonin. The activation of the intermembrane space Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase following the disruption of mitochondrial outer membrane was largely inhibited by bacitracin, an inhibitor of protein disulphide-isomerase. Thiol alkylating agents, such as N-methylmaleimide or iodoacetamide, decreased intermembrane space Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activation during, but not after, disruption of the outer membrane. This inhibitory effect was overcome by exposing mitochondria to low micromolar concentrations of H2O2 before disruption of the outer membrane in the presence of the alkylating agents. Moreover, H2O2 treatment alone enabled intact mitochondria to scavenge externally generated O2*-. These findings suggest that intermembrane space Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase is inactive in intact mitochondria and that an oxidative modification of its critical thiol groups is necessary for its activation. more...

The role of Ca2+ in the activation of the enzyme lyso-(platelet-activating factor): acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase was studied in rat peritoneal macrophages in response to complement-coated zymosan particles and ionophore A23187. By using Ca2+-containing buffers, a threshold concentration of extracellular Ca2+ above 1 microM was found to be necessary to observe the activation of the enzyme in response to zymosan. By contrast, a significant role of intracellular Ca2+ in this process could be ruled out, since the putative intracellular calcium-transport antagonist TMB-8 [8-(NN-diethylamino)octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate] did not inhibit the activation of the acetyltransferase induced by zymosan in the presence of extracellular Ca+. The link between acetyltransferase activation and extracellular Ca2+ transport was studied by measuring Ca2+ uptake in response to the stimuli. Zymosan particles induced a rapid increment in cell-associated Ca2+ which correlated well with the extent of acetyltransferase activation (r = 0.91) and with the release of platelet-activating factor (r = 0.95) in response to different doses of zymosan. Cellular Ca2+ efflux in response to zymosan particles was also measured and found to be increased, as compared with controls, when the activation of the acetyltransferase declined. In short, the data suggest that the entry of extracellular Ca2+ into the cell is a crucial event in the activation of acetyltransferase and, thereby, in the formation of platelet-activating factor in rat peritoneal macrophages. more...