ubiquinone and alpha-glycerophosphoric-acid

Ascofuranone, a prenylphenol antibiotic isolated from a phytopathogenic fungus, Ascochyta visiae, strongly inhibited both glucose-dependent cellular respiration and glycerol-3-phosphate-dependent mitochondrial O2 consumption of long slender bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei. This inhibition was suggested to be due to inhibition of the mitochondrial electron-transport system, composed of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.99.5) and plant-like alternative oxidase. Ascofuranone noncompetitively inhibited the reduced coenzyme Q1-dependent O2 uptake of the mitochondria with respect to ubiquinol (Ki = 2.38 nM). Therefore, the susceptible site is deduced to be the ubiquinone redox machinery which links the two enzyme activities. Further, ascofuranone in combination with glycerol completely blocked energy production, and potently inhibited the in vitro growth of the parasite. Our findings suggest that ascofuranone might be a promising candidate for the chemotherapeutic agents of African trypanosomiasis.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Electron Transport; Energy Metabolism; Glucose; Glycerol; Glycerophosphates; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Mice; Mitochondria; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxygen Consumption; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sesquiterpenes; Trypanocidal Agents; Trypanosoma brucei brucei; Trypanosomiasis, African; Ubiquinone

We have investigated the role of the Coenzyme Q pool in glycerol-3-phosphate oxidation in hamster brown adipose tissue mitochondria. Antimycin A and myxothiazol inhibit glycerol-3-phosphate cytochrome c oxidoreductase in a sigmoidal fashion, indicating that CoQ behaves as a homogeneous pool between glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and complex III. The inhibition of ubiquinol cytochrome c reductase is linear at low concentrations of both inhibitors, indicating that sigmoidicity of antimycin A and myxothiazol inhibition is not a direct property of antimycin A and myxothiazol binding. Glycerol-3-phosphate cytochrome c oxidoreductase is strongly stimulated by added CoQ3, indicating that endogenous CoQ is not saturating. Application of the pool equation for nonsaturating ubiquinone allows calculation of the Km for endogenous CoQ of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of 3.14 mM. The results of this investigations reveal that CoQ behaves as a homogeneous pool between glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and complex III in brown adipose tissue mitochondria; moreover, its concentration is far below saturation for maximal electron transfer activity in comparison with other branches of the respiratory chain connected with the CoQ pool. HPLC analysis revealed a lower amount of CoQ in brown adipose mitochondria (0.752 nmol/mg protein) in comparison with mitochondria from other tissues and the presence of both CoQ9 and CoQ10.

Topics: Adipose Tissue, Brown; Animals; Antimycin A; Carbohydrate Dehydrogenases; Cricetinae; Electron Transport Complex III; Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase; Glycerophosphates; Mesocricetus; Methacrylates; Mitochondria; Oxidation-Reduction; Palmitoyl Coenzyme A; Thiazoles; Ubiquinone

Adriamycin was used in situ, in isolated liver mitochondria of hyperthyroid rats to study the role of cardiolipin in the functioning of FAD-linked L-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The apparent kinetic parameters of the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme were affected by adriamycin. The effect of adriamycin was dependent on the electron acceptor, suggesting the existence of distinct binding sites for hydrophobic and hydrophilic acceptors. Assuming a correlation between the two plateaus observed upon binding of adriamycin to the mitochondria and the penetration of the drug into the two leaflets of the inner membrane [Cheneval et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 13003-13007], we can deduce that cardiolipin in both leaflets influences predominantly the electron acceptor binding site(s).

Topics: Animals; Binding Sites; Cardiolipins; Doxorubicin; Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase; Glycerophosphates; Hyperthyroidism; Kinetics; Male; Methylphenazonium Methosulfate; Mitochondria, Liver; Oxidation-Reduction; Rats; Ubiquinone; Vitamin K