title: Cells bearing mutations causing Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy are sensitized to Fas-Induced apoptosis.
abstract: Three prevalent mitochondrial DNA pathogenic mutations at positions 11778, 3460, and 14484, which affect different subunits of Complex I, cause retinal ganglion cell death and optic nerve atrophy in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). The cell death is painless and without inflammation, consistent with an apoptotic mechanism. We have investigated the possibility that the LHON mutation confers a pro-apoptotic stimulus and have tested the sensitivity of osteosarcoma-derived cybrid cells carrying the most common and severe mutations (11778 and 3460) to cell death induced by Fas. We observed that LHON cybrids were sensitized to Fas-dependent death. Control cells that bear the same mitochondrial genetic background (the J haplogroup) without the pathogenic 11778 mutation are no more sensitive than other controls, indicating that increased Fas-dependent death in LHON cybrids was induced by the LHON pathogenic mutations. The type of death was apoptotic by several criteria, including induction by Fas, inhibition by the caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk (zVal-Ala-Asp-fluoro-methyl ketone), activation of DEVDase activity (Asp-Glu-Val-Asp protease), specific cleavage of caspase-3, DNA fragmentation, and increased Annexin-V labeling. These data indicate that the most common and severe LHON pathogenic mutations 11778 and 3460 predispose cells to apoptosis, which may be relevant for the pathophysiology of cell death in LHON, and potential therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Danielson
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carelli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinuzzi
authors.forename: Anthony H V
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Schapira
authors.forename: Gino A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cortopassi
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000502:physiology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D009154:Mutation; D029242:Optic Atrophy, Hereditary, Leber / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012516:Osteosarcoma; D021122:Protein Subunits; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D000906:Antibodies; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D021122:Protein Subunits; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D019014:fas Receptor