title: Effect of magnesium ions on the activity of the cytosolic NADH/cytochrome c electron transport system.
abstract: Cytochrome c (cyto-c), added to isolated mitochondria, activates the oxidation of extramitochondrial NADH and the generation of a membrane potential, both linked to the activity of the cytosolic NADH/cyto-c electron transport pathway. The data presented in this article show that the protective effect of magnesium ions on the permeability of the mitochondrial outer membrane, supported by previously published data, correlates with the finding that, in hypotonic but not isotonic medium, magnesium promotes a differential effect on both the additional release of endogenous cyto-c and on the increased rate of NADH oxidation, depending on whether it is added before or after the mitochondria. At the same time, magnesium prevents or almost completely removes the binding of exogenously added cyto-c. We suggest that, in physiological low-amplitude swelling, magnesium ions may have the function, together with other factors, of modulating the amount of cyto-c molecules transferred from the mitochondrial intermembrane space into the cytosol, required for the correct execution of the apoptotic programme and/or the activation of the NADH/cyto-c electron transport pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Piana
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gorgoglione
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Laraspata
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marzulli
authors.forename: Nicola E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Lofrumento
mesh_terms: D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D007700:Kinetics; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015636:Magnesium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism*; D012402:Rotenone / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D015636:Magnesium Chloride; D012402:Rotenone; D009243:NAD; D045304:Cytochromes c; D008274:Magnesium; D005947:Glucose