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Characterization of mitochondrial function in cells with impaired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) function

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Abstract

Evidence supporting the occurrence of oxidative stress in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is well established and the literature suggests that oxidative stress is inseparably linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Here, we have characterized mitochondrial function, in particular as it regards the steps of oxidative phosphorylation and ROS production, in airway cells either homozygous for the F508del-CFTR allele or stably expressing wt-CFTR. We find that oxygen consumption, ΔΨ generation, adenine nucleotide translocator-dependent ADP/ATP exchange and both mitochondrial Complex I and IV activities are impaired in CF cells, while both mitochondrial ROS production and membrane lipid peroxidation increase. Importantly, treatment of CF cells with the small molecules VX-809 and 4,6,4′-trimethylangelicin, which act as “correctors” for F508del CFTR by rescuing the F508del CFTR-dependent chloride secretion, while having no effect per sè on mitochondrial function in wt-CFTR cells, significantly improved all the above mitochondrial parameters towards values found in the airway cells expressing wt-CFTR. This novel study on mitochondrial bioenergetics provides a springboard for future research to further understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for the involvement of mitochondria in CF and identify the proteins primarily responsible for the F508del-CFTR-dependent mitochondrial impairment and thus reveal potential novel targets for CF therapy.

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Abbreviations

AA:

Antimycin A

ADK:

Adenylate kinase

ANT:

Adenine nucleotide translocator

AP5A:

P1,P5-di(adenosine-5′)penta-phosphate

ASC:

Ascorbate

ATR:

Atractyloside

ATP D.S.:

ATP detecting system

BP:

3-bromopyruvate

CF:

Cystic fibrosis

CFBE41o-cells:

Airway cells homozygous for the F508del-CFTR allele

CFTR:

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator

COX:

Cytochrome oxidase

Δψ:

Mitochondrial membrane potential

ETC:

Electron transport chain

DMSO:

Dimethyl sulfoxide

GLU:

Glucose

16HBE14o-cells:

Airway cells stably expressing wt-CFTR

hrs:

Hours

KCN:

Potassium cyanide

MAL:

Malate

mRC:

Mitochondrial respiratory chain

O2 −• :

Superoxide anion radical

OUA:

Ouabain

OXPHOS:

Oxidative phosphorylation

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

PHLO:

Phloretin

PnAc:

Cis-parinaric acid

PYR:

Pyruvate

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

ROT:

Rotenone

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

S.D.:

Standard deviation

SUCC:

Succinate

TMA:

4,6,4′-trimethylangelicin

TMPD:

Tetramethyl p-phenylenediamine

XOD:

Xanthine oxidase

XX:

Xanthine

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Italian Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation FFC#1/2015 Project: “Relationship between mitochondria and F508del-CFTR in Cystic Fibrosis” to A.A.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Institute of Biomembrane and Bioenergetics – CNR, Via G. Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy

      Anna Atlante & Antonella Bobba

    2. Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Via E. Orabona 4, 70126, Bari, Italy

      Maria Favia, Lorenzo Guerra, Valeria Casavola & Stephan Joel Reshkin

    Authors
    1. Anna Atlante
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    2. Maria Favia
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    3. Antonella Bobba
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Anna Atlante.

    Additional information

    Valeria Casavola and Stephan Joel Reshkin contributed equally to this work.

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    Supplemental Figure 1

    VX-809 and TMA correct F508del CFTR-dependent chloride transport in intact CFBE41o-cells. (A-D) Typical recordings showing changes in intracellular Cl--dependent N-(ethoxy-carbonylmethyl)-6-methoxyquinolinium bromide (MQAE) fluorescence (expressed as the F/F0 ratio where F0 is maximal intensity of fluorescence) in cell monolayers of 16HBE14o- (A) and CFBE41o-preincubated either with the vehicle (B) or with 100 nM TMA (C) or with 5 μM VX-809 (D). The monolayer was stimulated for 3 min with 10 μM Forskolin (FSK) plus 100 μM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) before replacement of apical chloride by nitrate in the absence or presence of the specific CFTR inhibitor CFTRInh-172 (5 μM), added apically (ap) 5 min before nitrate replacement and remained for the entire chloride efflux. (E) Summary of the data collected from different measurements of CFTR-dependent chloride transport in 16HBE14o- and CFBE41o- cell monolayers untreated or treated for 24 hrs with either 100 nM TMA or 5 μM VX-809 or the vehicle alone in which the F508del CFTR-dependent chloride efflux rates [∆(F/F 0)/min] across the apical membrane were calculated as the difference in the F/F 0 ratio per minute [(F/F 0)/min] obtained in the absence and presence of CFTR Inh-172. Statistical comparisons were made using unpaired Student’s t test with respect to the values obtained in monolayers incubated for 24 hrs with the vehicle. Each bar represents the mean ± standard error (s.e.). **p<0.01; ***p<0.001. (GIF 55 kb)

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    Atlante, A., Favia, M., Bobba, A. et al. Characterization of mitochondrial function in cells with impaired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) function. J Bioenerg Biomembr 48, 197–210 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10863-016-9663-y

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