title: Replacement of the C6ORF66 assembly factor (NDUFAF4) restores complex I activity in patient cells.
abstract: Disorders of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system frequently result in a severe multisystem disease with the consequence of early childhood death. Among these disorders, isolated complex I deficiency is the most frequently diagnosed, accounting for one-third of all cases of respiratory chain deficiency. We chose to focus on complex I deficiency, caused by mutation in the assembly factor chromosome 6, open reading frame 66 (C6ORF66; NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] complex I assembly factor 4 [NDUFAF4]) protein. We used the approach of cell- and organelle-directed protein/enzyme replacement therapy, with the transactivator of transcription (TAT) peptide as the moiety delivery system. This step will enable us to deliver the wild-type assembly factor C6ORF66 into patient cells and their mitochondria, leading to the proper assembly and function of complex I and, as a result, to a functional OXPHOS system. We designed and constructed the TAT-ORF fusion protein by gene fusion techniques, expressed the protein in an Escherichia coli expression system and highly purified it. Our results indicate that TAT-ORF enters patients' cells and their mitochondria rapidly and efficiently. TAT-ORF is biologically active and led to an increase in complex I activity. TAT-ORF also increased the number of patient cells and improved the activity of their mitochondria. Moreover, we observed an increase in ATP production, a decrease in the content of mitochondria and a decrease in the level of reactive oxygen species. Our results suggest that this approach of protein replacement therapy for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders is a promising one.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lichtenstein
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saada
authors.forename: Haya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lorberboum-Galski
mesh_terms: D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I / Q000378:metabolism*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D028361:Mitochondrial Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D015696:Gene Products, tat; C519296:NDUFAF4 protein, human; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I