title: Mapping the ruthenium red-binding site of the voltage-dependent anion channel-1.
abstract: We have previously shown that ruthenium red (RuR) binds to the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) in the outer mitochondrial membrane, decreasing channel conductance and protecting against apoptotic cell death. In this report, we define the murine and yeast VDAC1 amino acid residues involved in the interaction with RuR. Binding of RuR to bilayer-reconstituted mVDAC1 and the resulting channel closure was inhibited upon mutation of specific VDAC1 residues. RuR protection against cell death, as induced by overexpression of native or mutated mVDAC1, was also diminished upon mutation of these amino acids. Moreover, RuR-mediated inhibition of cytochrome c release normally induced by staurosporine was not observed in cells expressing mutants VDAC1. We found that four glutamate residues, two each located in the first and third mVDAC1 cytosolic loops, are required for the interaction of VDAC1 with RuR and subsequent protection against cell death. Similar results were obtained with Q72E-yeast VDAC1, except that only three glutamate residues, located in two cytosolic loops were required. As a hexavalent reagent, RuR is expected to bind to more than one negatively charged group. Our results thus clearly indicate that RuR protects against cell death via a direct interaction with VDAC1 to inhibit cytochrome c release and subsequent cell death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Israelson
authors.forename: Hilal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zaid
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abu-Hamad
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nahon
authors.forename: Varda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shoshan-Barmatz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001665:Binding Sites; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012430:Ruthenium Red / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D020298:U937 Cells; D050995:Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C494763:Vdac1 protein, mouse; D012430:Ruthenium Red; D045304:Cytochromes c; D050995:Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel 1; D019311:Staurosporine