Isolation of Mitochondria for Mitochondrial Supercomplex Analysis from Small Tissue and Cell Culture Samples
Summary
This protocol describes a technique for the analysis of respiratory supercomplexes when only small amounts of samples are available.
Abstract
Over the last decades, the evidence accumulated about the existence of respiratory supercomplexes (SCs) has changed our understanding of the mitochondrial electron transport chain organization, giving rise to the proposal of the “plasticity model.” This model postulates the coexistence of different proportions of SCs and complexes depending on the tissue or the cellular metabolic status. The dynamic nature of the assembly in SCs would allow cells to optimize the use of available fuels and the efficiency of electron transfer, minimizing reactive oxygen species generation and favoring the ability of cells to adapt to environmental changes.
More recently, abnormalities in SC assembly have been reported in different diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease), Barth Syndrome, Leigh syndrome, or cancer. The role of SC assembly alterations in disease progression still needs to be confirmed. Nevertheless, the availability of enough amounts of samples to determine the SC assembly status is often a challenge. This happens with biopsy or tissue samples that are small or have to be divided for multiple analyses, with cell cultures that have slow growth or come from microfluidic devices, with some primary cultures or rare cells, or when the effect of particular costly treatments has to be analyzed (with nanoparticles, very expensive compounds, etc.). In these cases, an efficient and easy-to-apply method is required. This paper presents a method adapted to obtain enriched mitochondrial fractions from small amounts of cells or tissues to analyze the structure and function of mitochondrial SCs by native electrophoresis followed by in-gel activity assays or western blot.
Introduction
Supercomplexes (SCs) are supramolecular associations between individual respiratory chain complexes1,2. Since the initial identification of SCs and the description of their composition by the group of Schägger2,3, later confirmed by other groups, it was established that they contain respiratory complexes I, III, and IV (CI, CIII, and CIV, respectively) in different stoichiometries. Two main populations of SCs can be defined, those containing CI (and either CIII alone or CIII and CIV) and with very high molecular weight (MW, starting ~1.5 MDa for the smaller SC: CI + CIII2) and those containing CIII and CIV but not CI, with much smaller size (such as CIII2 + CIV with ~680 kDa). These SCs coexist in the inner mitochondrial membrane with free complexes, also in different proportions. Thus, while CI is mostly found in its associated forms (that is, in SCs: ~80% in bovine heart and more than 90% in many human cell types)3, CIV is very abundant in its free form (more than 80% in bovine heart), with CIII showing a more balanced distribution (~40% in its more abundant free form, as a dimer, in bovine heart).
While their existence is now generally accepted, their precise role is still under debate4,5,6,7,8,9,10. According to the plasticity model, different proportions of SCs and individual complexes can exist depending on the cell type or the metabolic status1,7,11. This dynamic nature of the assembly would allow cells to regulate the use of available fuels and the efficiency of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system in response to environmental changes4,5,7. SCs could also contribute to control the reactive oxygen species generation rate and participate in the stabilization and turnover of individual complexes4,12,13,14. Modifications of the SC assembly status have been described in association with different physiological and pathological situations15,16 and with the aging process17.
Thus, changes in the SC patterns have been described in yeast depending on the carbon source used for growth2 and in cultured mammalian cells when glucose is substituted by galactose4. Modifications have also been reported in mouse liver after fasting8 and in astrocytes when mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation is blocked18. In addition, a decrease or alterations in SCs and OXPHOS have been found in Barth syndrome19, heart failure20, several metabolic21 and neurological22,23,24 disorders, and different tumors25,26,27,28. Whether these alterations in SC assembly and levels are a primary cause or represent secondary effects in these pathological situations is still under investigation15,16. Different methodologies can give information about the assembly and function of SCs; these include activity measurements8,29, ultrastructural analysis30,31, and proteomics32,33. A useful alternative that is increasingly being employed and is the starting point for some of the previously mentioned methodologies is the direct determination of SC assembly status by Blue native (BN) electrophoresis developed for this purpose by Schägger's group34,35.
This approach requires reproducible and efficient procedures to obtain and solubilize mitochondrial membranes and can be complemented by other techniques such as in-gel activity analysis (IGA), second-dimension electrophoresis, and western blot (WB). A limitation in the studies on SC dynamics by BN electrophoresis can be the amount of starting cells or tissue samples. We present a series of protocols for the analysis of SC assembly and function, adapted from Schägger's group methods, that can be applied to fresh or frozen cell or tissue samples starting from as little as 20 mg of tissue.
Protocol
Representative Results
Discussion
The methodological adaptations introduced in the protocols described here are intended to avoid losses and increase the yield while maintaining mitochondrial complex activities (which is crucial when the availability of enough amounts of samples is compromised) and reproduce the tissue's or cell line's expected pattern of SCs (see Figure 2C). With this purpose and since a high mitochondrial purity is not required to properly detect the SCs, the number of steps, times, and volume…
Declarações
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by grant number "PGC2018-095795-B-I00" from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (https://ciencia.sede.gob.es/) and by grants “Grupo de Referencia: E35_17R” and grant number “LMP220_21” from Diputación General de Aragón (DGA) (https://www.aragon.es/) to PF-S and RM-L.
Materials
| Acetic acid | PanReac | 131008 | |
| Aminocaproic acid | Fluka Analytical | 7260 | |
| ATP | Sigma-Aldrich | A2383 | |
| Bis Tris | Acrons Organics | 327721000 | |
| Bradford assay | Biorad | 5000002 | |
| Coomassie Blue G-250 | Serva | 17524 | |
| Coomassie Blue R-250 | Merck | 1125530025 | |
| Cytochrome c | Sigma-Aldrich | C2506 | |
| Diamino benzidine (DAB) | Sigma-Aldrich | D5637 | |
| Digitonin | Sigma-Aldrich | D5628 | |
| EDTA | PanReac | 131669 | |
| EGTA | Sigma-Aldrich | E3889 | |
| Fatty acids free BSA | Roche | 10775835001 | |
| Glycine | PanReac | A1067 | |
| Homogenizer Teflon pestle | Deltalab | 196102 | |
| Imidazole | Sigma-Aldrich | I2399 | |
| K2HPO4 | PanReac | 121512 | |
| KH2PO4 | PanReac | 121509 | |
| Mannitol | Sigma-Aldrich | M4125 | |
| Methanol | Labkem | MTOL-P0P | |
| MgSO4 | PanReac | 131404 | |
| Mini Trans-Blot Cell | BioRad | 1703930 | |
| MOPS | Sigma-Aldrich | M1254 | |
| MTCO1 Monoclonal Antibody | Invitrogen | 459600 | |
| NaCl | Sigma-Aldrich | S9888 | |
| NADH | Roche | 10107735001 | |
| NativePAGE 3 to 12% Mini Protein Gels | Invitrogen | BN1001BOX | |
| NativePAGE Cathode Buffer Additive (20x) | Invitrogen | BN2002 | |
| NativePAGE Running Buffer (20x) | Invitrogen | BN2001 | |
| NDUFA9 Monoclonal Antibody | Invitrogen | 459100 | |
| Nitroblue tetrazolium salt (NBT) | Sigma-Aldrich | N6876 | |
| Pb(NO3)2 | Sigma-Aldrich | 228621 | |
| PDVF Membrane | Amersham | 10600023 | |
| Phenazine methasulfate (PMS) | Sigma-Aldrich | P9625 | |
| Pierce ECL Substrate | Thermo Scientific | 32106 | |
| PMSF | Merck | PMSF-RO | |
| SDHA Monoclonal Antibody | Invitrogen | 459200 | |
| Sodium succinate | Sigma-Aldrich | S2378 | |
| Streptomycin/penicillin | PAN biotech | P06-07100 | |
| Sucrose | Sigma-Aldrich | S3089 | |
| Tris | PanReac | A2264 | |
| UQCRC1 Monoclonal Antibody | Invitrogen | 459140 | |
| XCell SureLock Mini-Cell | Invitrogen | EI0001 |
Referências
- Acin-Perez, R., Fernandez-Silva, P., Peleato, M. L., Perez-Martos, A., Enriquez, J. A. Respiratory active mitochondrial supercomplexes. Mol Cell. 32 (4), 529-539 (2008).
- Schagger, H., Pfeiffer, K. Supercomplexes in the respiratory chains of yeast and mammalian mitochondria. EMBO J. 19 (8), 1777-1783 (2000).
- Schagger, H., Pfeiffer, K. The ratio of oxidative phosphorylation complexes I-V in bovine heart mitochondria and the composition of respiratory chain supercomplexes. J Biol Chem. 276 (41), 37861-37867 (2001).
- Acin-Perez, R., Enriquez, J. A. The function of the respiratory supercomplexes: the plasticity model. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1837 (4), 444-450 (2014).
- Cogliati, S., Cabrera-Alarcon, J. L., Enriquez, J. A. Regulation and functional role of the electron transport chain supercomplexes. Biochem Soc Trans. 49 (6), 2655-2668 (2021).
- Genova, M. L., Lenaz, G. Functional role of mitochondrial respiratory supercomplexes. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1837 (4), 427-443 (2014).
- Kohler, A., Barrientos, A., Fontanesi, F., Ott, M. The functional significance of mitochondrial respiratory chain supercomplexes. EMBO Rep. 24 (11), e57092 (2023).
- Lapuente-Brun, E., et al. Supercomplex assembly determines electron flux in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Science. 340 (6140), 1567-1570 (2013).
- Milenkovic, D., et al. Preserved respiratory chain capacity and physiology in mice with profoundly reduced levels of mitochondrial respirasomes. Cell Metab. 35 (10), 1799-1813 (2023).
- Vercellino, I., Sazanov, L. A. The assembly, regulation and function of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 23 (2), 141-161 (2022).
- Moreno-Loshuertos, R., Fernández-Silva, P., Ostojic, S. . Clinical Bioenergetics. , 3-60 (2021).
- Fernandez-Vizarra, E., Ugalde, C. Cooperative assembly of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Trends Biochem Sci. 47 (12), 999-1008 (2022).
- Javadov, S., Jang, S., Chapa-Dubocq, X. R., Khuchua, Z., Camara, A. K. S. Mitochondrial respiratory supercomplexes in mammalian cells: structural versus functional role. Journal of Molecular Medicine. 99 (1), 57-73 (2021).
- Lopez-Fabuel, I., et al. Complex I assembly into supercomplexes determines differential mitochondrial ROS production in neurons and astrocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 113 (46), 13063-13068 (2016).
- Mukherjee, S., Ghosh, A. Molecular mechanism of mitochondrial respiratory chain assembly and its relation to mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondrion. 53, 1-20 (2020).
- Nesci, S., et al. Molecular and supramolecular structure of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system: implications for pathology. Life (Basel). 11 (3), 242 (2021).
- Frenzel, M., Rommelspacher, H., Sugawa, M. D., Dencher, N. A. Ageing alters the supramolecular architecture of OxPhos complexes in rat brain cortex. Exp Gerontol. 45 (7-8), 563-572 (2010).
- Morant-Ferrando, B., et al. Fatty acid oxidation organizes mitochondrial supercomplexes to sustain astrocytic ROS and cognition. Nat Metab. 5 (8), 1290-1302 (2023).
- McKenzie, M., Lazarou, M., Thorburn, D. R., Ryan, M. T. Mitochondrial respiratory chain supercomplexes are destabilized in Barth Syndrome patients. J Mol Biol. 361 (3), 462-469 (2006).
- Rosca, M. G., et al. Cardiac mitochondria in heart failure: decrease in respirasomes and oxidative phosphorylation. Cardiovasc Res. 80 (1), 30-39 (2008).
- Ramirez-Camacho, I., Garcia-Nino, W. R., Flores-Garcia, M., Pedraza-Chaverri, J., Zazueta, C. Alteration of mitochondrial supercomplexes assembly in metabolic diseases. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 1866 (12), 165935 (2020).
- Gonzalez-Rodriguez, P., et al. Disruption of mitochondrial complex I induces progressive parkinsonism. Nature. 599 (7886), 650-656 (2021).
- Novack, G. V., Galeano, P., Castano, E. M., Morelli, L. Mitochondrial supercomplexes: physiological organization and dysregulation in age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 11, 600 (2020).
- Ramirez-Camacho, I., Flores-Herrera, O., Zazueta, C. The relevance of the supramolecular arrangements of the respiratory chain complexes in human diseases and aging. Mitochondrion. 47, 266-272 (2019).
- Hollinshead, K. E. R., et al. Respiratory Supercomplexes Promote Mitochondrial Efficiency and Growth in Severely Hypoxic Pancreatic Cancer. Cell Rep. 33 (1), 108231 (2020).
- Ikeda, K., et al. Mitochondrial supercomplex assembly promotes breast and endometrial tumorigenesis by metabolic alterations and enhanced hypoxia tolerance. Nat Commun. 10 (1), 4108 (2019).
- Kamada, S., Takeiwa, T., Ikeda, K., Horie, K., Inoue, S. Emerging roles of COX7RP and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in breast cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol. 10, 717881 (2022).
- Marco-Brualla, J., et al. Mutations in the ND2 subunit of mitochondrial complex I are sufficient to confer increased tumorigenic and metastatic potential to cancer cells. Cancers (Basel). 11 (7), 1027 (2019).
- Moreno-Loshuertos, R., et al. How hot can mitochondria be? Incubation at temperatures above 43 degrees C induces the degradation of respiratory complexes and supercomplexes in intact cells and isolated mitochondria. Mitochondrion. 69, 83-94 (2023).
- Vonck, J., Schafer, E. Supramolecular organization of protein complexes in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1793 (1), 117-124 (2009).
- Althoff, T., Mills, D. J., Popot, J. L., Kuhlbrandt, W. Arrangement of electron transport chain components in bovine mitochondrial supercomplex I1III2IV1. EMBO J. 30 (22), 4652-4664 (2011).
- Cogliati, S., et al. Mechanism of super-assembly of respiratory complexes III and IV. Nature. 539 (7630), 579-582 (2016).
- Gonzalez-Franquesa, A., et al. Mass-spectrometry-based proteomics reveals mitochondrial supercomplexome plasticity. Cell Rep. 35 (8), 109180 (2021).
- Wittig, I., Schagger, H. Features and applications of blue-native and clear-native electrophoresis. Proteomics. 8 (19), 3974-3990 (2008).
- Wittig, I., Schagger, H. Native electrophoretic techniques to identify protein-protein interactions. Proteomics. 9 (23), 5214-5223 (2009).
- Garcia-Cazarin, M. L., Snider, N. N., Andrade, F. H. Mitochondrial isolation from skeletal muscle. J Vis Exp. (49), e2452 (2011).
- Lai, N., et al. Isolation of mitochondrial subpopulations from skeletal muscle: Optimizing recovery and preserving integrity. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 225 (2), e13182 (2019).
- Schagger, H. Native electrophoresis for isolation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation protein complexes. Methods Enzymol. 260, 190-202 (1995).
- Wittig, I., Braun, H. P., Schagger, H. Blue native PAGE. Nat Protoc. 1 (1), 418-428 (2006).
- Chomyn, A., et al. Platelet-mediated transformation of mtDNA-less human cells: analysis of phenotypic variability among clones from normal individuals–and complementation behavior of the tRNALys mutation causing myoclonic epilepsy and ragged red fibers. Am J Hum Genet. 54 (6), 966-974 (1994).
- Moreno-Loshuertos, R., et al. Differences in reactive oxygen species production explain the phenotypes associated with common mouse mitochondrial DNA variants. Nat Genet. 38 (11), 1261-1268 (2006).
- Fernández-Vizarra, E., Fernández-Silva, P., Enríquez, J. A., Celis, J. E. . Cell Biology (Third Edition). , 69-77 (2006).
- Cogliati, S., Herranz, F., Ruiz-Cabello, J., Enríquez, J. A. Digitonin concentration is determinant for mitochondrial supercomplexes analysis by BlueNative page. Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg. 1862 (1), 148332 (2021).
.