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Gene Transfer into the Chicken Auditory Organ by In Ovo Micro-electroporation
Published on: April 17, 2016
The H
Cécile Mons1, Thomas Botzanowski2, Anton Nikolaev3
1Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR 2301, Univ Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France.
Abstract:
Human mitoNEET (mNT) is the first identified Fe-S protein of the mammalian outer mitochondrial membrane. Recently, we demonstrated the involvement of mNT in a specific cytosolic pathway dedicated to the reactivation of oxidatively damaged cytosolic aconitase by cluster transfer. In vitro studies using apo-ferredoxin (FDX) reveal that mNT uses an Fe-based redox switch mechanism to regulate the transfer of its cluster. Using the "gold standard" cluster recipient protein, FDX, we show that this transfer is direct and that only one of the two mNT clusters is transferred when the second one is decomposed. Combining complementary biophysical and biochemical approaches, we show that pH affects both the sensitivity of the cluster to O2 and dimer stability. Around physiological cytosolic pH, the ability of mNT to transfer its cluster is tightly regulated by the pH. Finally, mNT is extremely resistant to H2O2 compared to ISCU and SufB, two other Fe-S cluster transfer proteins, which is consistent with its involvement in a repair pathway of stress-damaged Fe-S proteins. Taken together, our results suggest that the ability of mNT to transfer its cluster to recipient proteins is not only controlled by the redox state of its cluster but also tightly modulated by the pH of the cytosol. We propose that when pathophysiological conditions such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases dysregulate cellular pH homeostasis, this pH-dependent regulation of mNT is lost, as is the regulation of cellular pathways under the control of mNT.
Insights
Human mitoNEET (mNT) protein transfers iron-sulfur clusters to repair damaged proteins. Its activity is regulated by redox state and cytosolic pH, crucial for cellular homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Mitochondrial Protein Research
Background:
- Human mitoNEET (mNT) is an outer mitochondrial membrane protein.
- mNT participates in a cytosolic pathway for repairing oxidatively damaged proteins via iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster transfer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of mNT's Fe-S cluster transfer activity.
- To understand the role of redox state and pH in mNT function.
Main Methods:
- In vitro studies using apo-ferredoxin (FDX) as a cluster recipient.
- Biophysical and biochemical approaches to assess cluster transfer, O2 sensitivity, and dimer stability.
- Comparison of mNT's H2O2 resistance with other Fe-S cluster transfer proteins (ISCU, SufB).
Main Results:
- mNT utilizes an Fe-based redox switch for regulated Fe-S cluster transfer.
- Cluster transfer is direct to FDX, with only one cluster transferred under specific conditions.
- Cytosolic pH significantly modulates mNT's cluster transfer ability and sensitivity to oxygen.
- mNT exhibits high resistance to H2O2, unlike ISCU and SufB.
Conclusions:
- mNT's Fe-S cluster transfer is regulated by both its redox state and cytosolic pH.
- Dysregulation of cellular pH homeostasis in diseases like cancer may impair mNT function.
- This pH-dependent regulation is critical for maintaining cellular pathways controlled by mNT.
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