Adaptive Responses of Mitochondria to Mild Copper Deprivation Involve Changes in Morphology, OXPHOS Remodeling and Bioenergetics

In this study, a mild copper deficiency was produced in an animal model through intraperitoneal injections of bathocuproine disulfonate in order to study the MAR. Under these conditions, a new type of mitochondrial morphology was discovered in the liver. Termed the “butternut squash” mitochondria, it coexisted with normal and swollen mitochondria. Western blot analyses of mitochondrial dynamics proteins showed an up‐regulation of MFN‐2 and OPA1 fusion proteins. Furthermore, isolated liver mitochondria displayed OXPHOS remodeling through a decrease in supercomplex activity with a concomitant increase at an individual level of complexes I and IV, higher respiratory rates at complex I and II levels, higher oligomycin‐insensitive respiration, and lower respiratory control ratio values when compared to the control group. As expected, total ATP and ATP/ADP values were not significantly different, since animal's health was not compromised. As a whole, these results describe a compensatory and adaptive response of metabolism and bioenergetics under copper deprivation. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 607–619, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Source: Journal of Cellular Physiology - January 21, 2014 Category: Cytology Authors: Lina María Ruiz, Erik L. Jensen, Rodrigo I. Bustos, Graciela Argüelloa, Ricardo Gutierrez‐Garcia, Mauricio González, Claudia Hernández, Rodolfo Paredes, Felipe Simon, Claudia Riedel, David Ferrick, Alvaro A. Elorza Tags: Original Research Article Source Type: research