title: Variation in mitochondrial function in hypoxia-sensitive and hypoxia-tolerant human glioma cells.
abstract: We have shown previously that human glioblastoma multiforme cells vary in their ability to survive under hypoxic conditions. Under oxygen limiting conditions, hypoxia-tolerant cells decrease their oxygen consumption rate whereas hypoxia-sensitive cells continue to consume oxygen at a relatively steady rate until the oxygen supply becomes exhausted. We now show that hypoxia-tolerant and hypoxia-sensitive cells exhibit distinct patterns of mitochondrial function in response to hypoxic challenge. Hypoxia-tolerant cell lines retain stable mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP concentration when incubated under oxygen limiting conditions. In addition, hypoxia-tolerant cell lines are consistently more sensitive to a wide spectrum of inhibitors of mitochondrial function than are hypoxia-sensitive cells. In contrast, the hypoxia-sensitive cells are unable to maintain stable mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels when incubated at reduced oxygen tension. These results demonstrate significant differences in the mitochondrial function between these two phenotypes and reinforce previous data that suggest a regulatory role for mitochondria in the development of hypoxia tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Turcotte
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parliament
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franko
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allalunis-Turner
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005562:Formazans; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism*; D007473:Ion Channels; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014475:Uncoupling Agents / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005562:Formazans; D007473:Ion Channels; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D014475:Uncoupling Agents; C079782:MTT formazan; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D010100:Oxygen