Disturbed intramitochondrial phosphatidic acid transport impairs cellular stress signaling
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ABSTRACT: Lipid transfer proteins of the Ups1/PRELID1 family facilitate the transport of phospholipids across the intermembrane space of mitochondria in a lipid-specific manner. Heterodimeric complexes of yeast Ups1/Mdm35 or human PRELID1/TRIAP1 shuttle phosphatidic acid (PA) synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the inner membrane, where it is converted to cardiolipin (CL), the signature phospholipid of mitochondria. Loss of Ups1/PRELID1 proteins impairs the accumulation of CL and broadly affects mitochondrial structure and function. Unexpectedly and unlike yeast cells lacking the cardiolipin synthase Crd1, Ups1 deficient yeast cells exhibit glycolytic growth defects, pointing to functions of Ups1-mediated PA transfer beyond CL synthesis. Here, we show that the disturbed intramitochondrial transport of PA in ups1D cells leads to altered phospholipid composition of the ER membrane, independent of disturbances in CL synthesis. The impaired flux of PA into mitochondria is associated with the increased synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and a reduced phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)/PC ratio in the ER of ups1D cells which suppresses the unfolded protein response (UPR). Moreover, we observed inhibition of TORC1 signaling in these cells. Activation of either UPR by ER protein stress or of TORC1 signaling by disruption of its negative regulator, the SEACIT complex, increased cytosolic protein synthesis and restored glycolytic growth of ups1D cells. These results demonstrate that PA influx into mitochondria is required to preserve ER membrane homeostasis and that its disturbance is associated with impaired glycolytic growth and cellular stress signaling.
Project description:Lipid transfer proteins of the Ups1/PRELID1 family facilitate the transport of phospholipids across the intermembrane space of mitochondria in a lipid-specific manner. Heterodimeric complexes of yeast Ups1/Mdm35 or human PRELID1/TRIAP1 shuttle phosphatidic acid (PA) synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the inner membrane, where it is converted to cardiolipin (CL), the signature phospholipid of mitochondria. Loss of Ups1/PRELID1 proteins impairs the accumulation of CL and broadly affects mitochondrial structure and function. Unexpectedly and unlike yeast cells lacking the cardiolipin synthase Crd1, Ups1 deficient yeast cells exhibit glycolytic growth defects, pointing to functions of Ups1-mediated PA transfer beyond CL synthesis. Here, we show that the disturbed intramitochondrial transport of PA in ups1 cells leads to altered phospholipid composition of the ER membrane, independent of disturbances in CL synthesis. The impaired flux of PA into mitochondria is associated with the increased synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and a reduced phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)/PC ratio in the ER of ups1 cells which suppresses the unfolded protein response (UPR). Moreover, we observed inhibition of TORC1 signaling in these cells. Activation of either UPR by ER protein stress or of TORC1 signaling by disruption of its negative regulator, the SEACIT complex, increased cytosolic protein synthesis and restored glycolytic growth of ups1 cells. These results demonstrate that PA influx into mitochondria is required to preserve ER membrane homeostasis and that its disturbance is associated with impaired glycolytic growth and cellular stress signaling.
Project description:The mitochondrial inner membrane contains a unique phospholipid known as cardiolipin (CL), which stabilises the protein complexes embedded in the membrane and supports its overall structure. Recent evidence indicates that the mitochondrial ribosome may associate with the inner membrane to facilitate co-translational insertion of the hydrophobic oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) proteins into the inner membrane. We generated three mutant knockout cell lines for the cardiolipin biosynthesis gene Crls1 to investigate the effects of cardiolipin loss on mitochondrial protein synthesis. Reduced CL levels caused altered mitochondrial morphology and transcriptome-wide changes that were accompanied by reduced uncoordinated mitochondrial translation rates and impaired respiratory supercomplex formation. Aberrant protein synthesis was caused by impaired formation and distribution of mitochondrial ribosomes. Reduction or loss of cardiolipin resulted in resulted in different mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum stress responses. We show that cardiolipin is required to stabilise the interaction of the mitochondrial ribosome with the membrane via its association with OXA1 during active translation. This interaction facilitates insertion of newly synthesised mitochondrial proteins into the inner membrane and stabilises the respiratory supercomplexes.
Project description:Evaluate changes in gene expression resulting from the loss of the gene TAZ (protein tafazzin). Tafazzin is an enzyme involved in cardiolipin maturation and cardiolipin is a phospholipid found only in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Gene expression profiling was performed in a murine granulocyte-monocyte progenitor in vitro cell system. We identified a limited number of changes in gene expression, which was not surprising given that the tafazzin protein is localized in the mitochondria and has a very specific enzymatic activity. Genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism (Acss1, Acat2, Ldlr), apoptosis (Bcl2, Casp3, Casp6, Cycs), and ER-stress induced apoptosis (Ddit3, Atf4) were differentially expressed.
Project description:Evaluate changes in gene expression resulting from the loss of the gene TAZ (protein tafazzin). Tafazzin is an enzyme involved in cardiolipin maturation and cardiolipin is a phospholipid found only in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Gene expression profiling was performed in a murine granulocyte-monocyte progenitor in vitro cell system. We identified a limited number of changes in gene expression, which was not surprising given that the tafazzin protein is localized in the mitochondria and has a very specific enzymatic activity. Genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism (Acss1, Acat2, Ldlr), apoptosis (Bcl2, Casp3, Casp6, Cycs), and ER-stress induced apoptosis (Ddit3, Atf4) were differentially expressed (with a fold change ≥ 1.2 and p value < 0.05).
Project description:Here we show that synthesis of the mitochondrial phospholipid cardiolipin is an indispensable driver of thermogenic fat function. Cardiolipin biosynthesis is robustly induced in brown and beige adipose upon cold exposure. Mimicking this response by overexpressing cardiolipin synthase (Crls1) enhances energy consumption in mouse and human adipocytes. Crls1 deficiency diminishes mitochondrial uncoupling in brown and beige adipocytes and elicits a nuclear transcriptional response through ER stress-mediated retrograde communication. Cardiolipin depletion in brown and beige fat abolishes adipose thermogenesis and glucose uptake and renders animals strikingly insulin resistant. We further identify a rare human CRLS1 variant associated with insulin resistance and show that adipose CRLS1 levels positively correlate with insulin sensitivity. Thus, adipose cardiolipin is a powerful regulator of organismal energy homeostasis through thermogenic fat bioenergetics.
Project description:The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria membrane contact sites (MCS) are extensively studied in aerobic eukaryotes, however, little is known about MCS in anaerobes with reduced forms of mitochondria named hydrogenosomes. In several eukaryotic lineages, the direct physical tether between ER and the outer mitochondrial membrane is formed by ER-mitochondria encounter structure (ERMES). The complex consists of four core proteins (Mmm1, Mmm2, Mdm12, and Mdm10) which are involved in phospholipid trafficking. Here we investigated ERMES distribution in organisms bearing hydrogenosomes and employed Trichomonas vaginalis as a model to estimate ERMES cellular localization, structure, and function. Homology searches revealed that Parabasalia-Anaeramoebae, anaerobic jakobids, and anaerobic fungi are lineages with hydrogenosomes that retain ERMES, while ERMES components were gradually lost in Fornicata, and are absent in Preaxostyla, and Archamoebae. In T. vaginalis and other parabasalids, three ERMES components were found with the expansion of Mmm1. Immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed that Mmm1 localized in ER, while Mdm12 and Mmm2 were partially localized in hydrogenosomes. Pull-down assays and mass spectrometry of the ERMES components identified a parabasalid-specific Porin2 as a substitute for the Mdm10. ERMES modeling showed a formation of a continuous hydrophobic tunnel of TvMmm1-TvMdm12-TvMmm2 that is anchored via Porin2 to the hydrogenosomal outer membrane. Phospholipid-ERMES docking and Mdm12-phospholipid dot-blot indicated that ERMES is involved in the transport of phosphatidylinositol phosphates. However, the absence of enzymes involved in mitochondrial phospholipid metabolism, Psd1, and cardiolipin synthase, indicates that ERMES is not involved in the exchange of substrates for lipid metabolism between ER and hydrogenosomes.
Project description:Mitochondria are central for cellular metabolism and energy supply. Barth Syndrome (BTHS) is a severe disorder due to dysfunction of the mitochondrial cardiolipin acyl transferase tafazzin. Altered cardiolipin remodeling affects mitochondrial inner membrane organization and function of membrane proteins such as transporters and the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system. Here, we describe a mouse model that carries a G197V exchange in tafazzin, corresponding to BTHS patient. TAZG197V mice recapitulate disease-specific pathology including cardiac dysfunction and reduced oxidative phosphorylation. We show that mutant mitochondria display defective fatty acid driven oxidative phosphorylation due to reduced levels of carnitine palmitoyl transferases. A metabolic switch in ATP production from OXPHOS to glycolysis is apparent in mouse heart and patient iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes. An increase in glycolytic ATP production inactivates AMPK causing altered metabolic signaling in TAZG197V. Treatment of mutant cells with AMPK activator reestablishes fatty acid driven OXPHOS and protects mice against cardiac failure.
Project description:Mitochondria are central for cellular metabolism and energy supply. Barth Syndrome (BTHS) is a severe disorder due to dysfunction of the mitochondrial cardiolipin acyl transferase tafazzin. Altered cardiolipin remodeling affects mitochondrial inner membrane organization and function of membrane proteins such as transporters and the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system. Here, we describe a mouse model that carries a G197V exchange in tafazzin, corresponding to BTHS patient. TAZG197V mice recapitulate disease-specific pathology including cardiac dysfunction and reduced oxidative phosphorylation. We show that mutant mitochondria display defective fatty acid driven oxidative phosphorylation due to reduced levels of carnitine palmitoyl transferases. A metabolic switch in ATP production from OXPHOS to glycolysis is apparent in mouse heart and patient iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes. An increase in glycolytic ATP production inactivates AMPK causing altered metabolic signaling in TAZG197V. Treatment of mutant cells with AMPK activator reestablishes fatty acid driven OXPHOS and protects mice against cardiac failure.
Project description:In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pah1 phosphatidate (PA) phosphatase, which catalyzes the Mg2+-dependent dephosphorylation of PA to produce diacylglycerol, plays a key role in utilizing PA for the synthesis of membrane phospholipids or the neutral lipid triacylglycerol. Low activity favors phospholipid synthesis, whereas high activity favors triacylglycerol synthesis. Pah1 function is controlled by its subcellular location as regulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Multiple protein kinases phosphorylate Pah1 for its inactivation in the cytosol; Pah1 is activated via recruitment and dephosphorylation by the protein phosphatase Nem1-Spo7 at the nuclear/endoplasmic reticulum membrane where the PA phosphatase reaction occurs. Additionally, phosphorylation inhibits PA phosphatase activity and stabilizes Pah1 abundance, while dephosphorylation stimulates activity and destabilizes the enzyme abundance. Many of the protein kinases that phosphorylate Pah1 have yet to be characterized and their sites of phosphorylation defined. Here, we established Pah1 as a bona fide substrate of septin-associated Hsl1, a protein kinase involved in mitotic morphogenesis checkpoint signaling. Using Pah1 as substrate, Hsl1 activity was dependent on reaction time and the amounts of protein kinase, Pah1, and ATP. The phosphorylation occurred on Ser-748 and Ser-773, which together caused a 5-fold reduction in PA phosphatase catalytic efficiency. Analysis of cells expressing phosphorylation-deficient S748A and S773A mutant forms of Pah1 indicated that the Hsl1-mediated phosphorylation of Pah1 promoted membrane phospholipid synthesis at the expense of triacylglycerol, and ensured the dependence of Pah1 function on the Nem1-Spo7 protein phosphatase. This work advances understanding of how Hsl1 facilitates membrane phospholipid synthesis through the phosphorylation-mediated regulation of Pah1.