Transgenic NADH dehydrogenase restores oxygen regulation of breathing in mitochondrial complex I-deficient mice.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 36859533.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-36894-2 and PMC identifier 9977773.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) is a life-saving reflex, triggered by the activation of chemoreceptor glomus cells in the carotid body (CB) connected with the brainstem respiratory center. The molecular mechanisms underlying glomus cell acute oxygen (O<sub>2</sub>) sensing are unclear. Genetic disruption of mitochondrial complex I (MCI) selectively abolishes the HVR and glomus cell responsiveness to hypoxia. However, it is unknown what functions of MCI (metabolic, proton transport, or signaling) are essential for O<sub>2</sub> sensing. Here we show that transgenic mitochondrial expression of NDI1, a single-molecule yeast NADH/quinone oxidoreductase that does not directly contribute to proton pumping, fully recovers the HVR and glomus cell sensitivity to hypoxia in MCI-deficient mice. Therefore, maintenance of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase activity and the electron transport chain are absolutely necessary for O<sub>2</sub>-dependent regulation of breathing. NDI1 expression also rescues other systemic defects caused by MCI deficiency. These data explain the role of MCI in acute O<sub>2</sub> sensing by arterial chemoreceptors and demonstrate the optimal recovery of complex organismal functions by gene therapy.
Medical subject headings
- NADH Dehydrogenase
- Oxygen
- Mitochondrial Diseases
- Electron Transport Complex I