Regulation of the mitochondrial ATP-synthase in health and disease

In most tissues the mitochondrial ATP-synthase plays a central role by synthesizing the bulk of ATP. According to the classical theory of respiratory control, flux through this enzyme is solely determined by substrate (ADP) concentration while the enzyme has a fixed capacity. However, in different cell types such as rat cardiomyocytes and neurons, dog heart, human fibroblasts, and skeletal and heart muscle from children, it has been shown that active regulation of the mitochondrial ATP-synthase in response to cellular energy demand exists. For example, in rat cardiomyocytes the mitochondrial ATP-synthase activity is down-regulated in response to anoxia or mitochondrial uncoupling. By this mechanism cellular ATP is conserved, as under these conditions the ATP-synthase would work in reverse and hydrolyze ATP. When cardiomyocytes are stimulated to contract, ATP-synthase activity is up-regulated in line with the increased energy demand. Preincubation of the cardiomyocytes with positive inotropic substances results in further up-regulation of the ATP-synthase. By blocking calcium transport, it has been shown that the up-regulation of the enzyme is calcium-dependent. On a molecular level, up-regulation is probably mediated by the calcium-binding inhibitor protein (CaBI) and down-regulation via the inhibitor protein IF1. The ATP-synthase system is disturbed under several pathophysiological conditions. First, mutations can cause a primary defect in the mitochondrial ATP-synthase (respiratory chain defect). Furthermore, secondary defects of the ATP-synthase occur. In rat models abnormalities of ATP-synthase can be detected in different types of cardiomyopathy/heart hypertrophy. The changes are reversible in response to treatment of the heart diseases. Abnormalities of the ATP-synthase system can be observed in fibroblasts from patients with neuronal ceroidlipofuscinoses. Toxic metabolites accumulating in methylmalonic acidurias can inhibit ATP-synthase. When neurons are incubated with 3-OH glutarate-a substance accumulating in glutaric aciduria I-as a model for glutaric aciduria 1, ATP-synthase activity is compromised. This lack of energy may lead to 'slow onset' excitotoxicity and finally cell death. Cells can be rescued by adding creatine to the incubation medium. In D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria, inhibition of the ATP-synthase has been observed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.