Cytochromecin the apoptotic and antioxidant cascades

Bcl-2 is an integral membrane protein located mainly on the outer membrane of mitochondria. Overexpression of Bcl-2 prevents cells from undergoing apoptosis in response to a variety of stimuli. Cytosolic cytochrome c is necessary for the initiation of the apoptotic program, suggesting a possible connection between Bcl-2 and cytochrome c, which is normally located in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Cells undergoing apoptosis were found to have an elevation of cytochrome c in the cytosol and a corresponding decrease in the mitochondria. Overexpression of Bcl-2 prevented the efflux of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and the initiation of apoptosis. Thus, one possible role of Bcl-2 in prevention of apoptosis is to block cytochrome c release from mitochondria.

We report here the purification and cDNA cloning of Apaf-1, a novel 130 kd protein from HeLa cell cytosol that participates in the cytochrome c-dependent activation of caspase-3. The NH2-terminal 85 amino acids of Apaf-1 show 21% identity and 53% similarity to the NH2-terminal prodomain of the Caenorhabditis elegans caspase, CED-3. This is followed by 320 amino acids that show 22% identity and 48% similarity to CED-4, a protein that is believed to initiate apoptosis in C. elegans. The COOH-terminal region of Apaf-1 comprises multiple WD repeats, which are proposed to mediate protein-protein interactions. Cytochrome c binds to Apaf-1, an event that may trigger the activation of caspase-3, leading to apoptosis.

Formation of H2O2 has been studied in rat heart mitochondria, pretreated with H2O2 and aminotriazole to lower their antioxidant capacity. It is shown that the rate of H2O2 formation by mitochondria oxidizing 6 mM succinate is inhibited by a protonophorous uncoupler, ADP and phosphate, malonate, rotenone and myxothiazol, and is stimulated by antimycin A. The effect of ADP is abolished by carboxyatractylate and oligomycin. Addition of uncoupler after rotenone induces further inhibition of H2O2 production. Inhibition of H2O2 formation by uncoupler, malonate and ADP+Pi is shown to be proportional to the delta psi decrease by these compounds. A threshold delta psi value is found, above which a very strong increase in H2O2 production takes place. This threshold slightly exceeds the state 3 delta psi level. The data obtained are in line with the concept [Skulachev, V.P., Q. Rev. Biophys. 29 (1996), 169-2021 that a high proton motive force in state 4 is potentially dangerous for the cell due to an increase in the probability of superoxide formation.