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Release of cytochrome c and decrease of cytochrome c oxidase in Bax-expressing yeast cells, and prevention of these
S Manon1, B Chaudhuri, M Guérin
1Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaire du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Victor Ségalen-Bordeaux II, France. stephen.manon@ibgc.u-bordeaux2.fr
Abstract:
The characteristics of mitochondria of yeast cells expressing the pro-apoptotic gene Bax or coexpressing Bax and the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-xL have been investigated in whole cells, isolated mitochondria and permeabilized spheroplasts. It is found that Bax-induced growth arrest of yeast cells is related to two defects in the respiratory chain: (i) a decrease in the amount of cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain, and (ii) a dramatic increase in the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol. Other components of the inner mitochondrial membrane (bc1 complex and F0F1-ATPase) are unaffected. Coexpression of Bcl-xL almost fully prevented the effect of Bax. Surprisingly, these results obtained in yeast parallel similar observations reported in mammalian cells.