Publications

The multi-subunit mammalian NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) is part of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and physiologically serves to reduce ubiquinone with NADH as the electron donor. The three-dimensional structure of this enzyme complex remains to be elucidated and also little is known about the physiological regulation of complex I. The enzyme complex in vitro is known to exist as a mixture of active (A) and de-active (D) forms [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1364 (1998) 169]. Studies are reported here examining the effect of anoxia and reperfusion on the A/D-equilibrium of complex I in rat hearts ex vivo. Complex I from the freshly isolated rat heart or after prolonged (1 h) normoxic perfusion exists in almost fully active form (87+/-2%). Either 30 min of nitrogen perfusion or global ischemia decreases the portion of active form of complex I to 40+/-2%. Upon re-oxygenation of cardiac tissue, complex I is converted back predominantly to the active form (80-85%). Abrupt alternation of anoxic and normoxic perfusion allows cycling between the two states of the enzyme. The possible role in the physiological regulation of complex I activity is discussed.

Gelatinase A transcriptional regulation is the consequence of combinatorial interactions with key promoter and enhancer elements identified within this gene. A potent 40 bp enhancer response element, RE-1, located in the near 5' flanking regions of the rat and human gelatinase A genes drives high-level expression in glomerular mesangial cells (MCs). Southwestern-blot analysis of MC nuclear extracts revealed specific interactions of RE-1 with at least four proteins, of which three have been identified as p53, activator protein 2 and the single-stranded DNA-binding factor Y-box protein-1 (YB-1). In the present study, we report the identification of a fourth 17 kDa RE-1-binding protein as the rat homologue (nm23-beta) of the human nm23-H1 metastasis suppressor gene. Recombinant nm23-beta protein bound only the single-stranded forms of the RE-1 sequence. Mutagenesis revealed direct interaction of nm23-beta with a repeat sequence, 5'-GGGTTT-3', shown previously to specifically interact with YB-1 [Mertens, Harendza, Pollock and Lovett (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 22905-22912], and recombinant nm23-beta protein competed for single-stranded YB-1 binding. Transient transfection of MC with an nm23-beta expression plasmid within the context of a RE-1/simian virus 40 promoter/luciferase reporter yielded a concentration-dependent repression (80-90%) of luciferase activity in MC and Rat1 fibroblasts. A similar pattern of nm23-beta repression was demonstrated within the context of the RE-1/homologous gelatinase A promoter. Co-transfection of nm23-beta blocked YB-1-mediated activation of transcription and expression of gelatinase A. Nm23-beta may be an important physiological regulator of gelatinase A transcription that acts by competitive interference with the single-stranded transactivator YB-1. Gelatinase A is a key mediator of tumour metastasis, suggesting that competitive suppression of transcription by nm23-beta (or the human nm23-H1) may be a component of the reduced metastatic capabilities of cells expressing high levels of this protein.