Discovery of bactericides as an acute mitochondrial membrane damage inducer

Mitochondria evolved from endosymbiotic bacteria to become essential organelles of eukaryotic cells. The unique lipid composition and structure of mitochondrial membranes are critical for the proper functioning of mitochondria. However, stress responses that help maintain the mitochondrial membrane integrity are not well understood. One reason for this lack of insight is the absence of efficient tools to specifically damage mitochondrial membranes. Here, through a compound screen, we found that two bis-biguanide compounds, chlorhexidine and alexidine, modified the activity of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM)-resident protease OMA1 by altering the integrity of the IMM. These compounds are well-known bactericides whose mechanism of action has centered on their damage-inducing activity on bacterial membranes. We found alexidine binds to the IMM likely through the electrostatic interaction driven by the membrane potential as well as an affinity for anionic phospholipids. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that alexidine severely perturbated the cristae structure. Notably, alexidine evoked a specific transcriptional/proteostasis signature that was not induced by other typical mitochondrial stressors, highlighting the unique property of alexidine as a novel mitochondrial membrane stressor. Our findings provide a chemical-biological tool that should enable the delineation of mitochondrial stress-signaling pathways required to maintain the mitochondrial membrane homeostasis.