Abstract 568: Deletion of AMP-activated Protein Kinase-alpha Triggers Mitochondrial Fission and Endothelial Dysfunction

Abstract

Introduction: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been reported to regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, function, and turnover. However, the molecular mechanisms by which AMPK regulates mitochondrial dynamics remain poorly characterized. We hypothesized that AMPK deficiency regulates mitochondrial fission that will result in endothelial dysfunction. Methods/Results: Deletion of AMPKα2 resulted in defective autophagy, dynamin-related protein (Drp1) accumulation, and aberrant mitochondrial fragmentation in the aortic endothelium of mice. Furthermore, autophagy inhibition by chloroquine treatment or Atg7 small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection upregulated Drp1 expression and triggered Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation. In contrast, autophagy activation by overexpression of Atg7 or chronic administration of rapamycin, the mammalian target of rapamycin kinase inhibitor, promoted Drp1 degradation and attenuated mitochondrial fission in AMPKα2 -/- mice, suggesting that defective autophagy contributes to enhanced Drp1 expression and mitochondrial fragmentation. Interesting, the genetic (Drp1 siRNA) or pharmacological (mdivi-1) inhibition of Drp1 ablated mitochondrial fragmentation in the mouse aortic endothelium and prevented the acetylcholine-induced relaxation of isolated mouse aortas from AMPKα2 -/- mice. This suggests that aberrant Drp1 is responsible for enhanced mitochondrial fission and endothelial dysfunction in AMPKα knockout mice. Conclusions: Our results show that AMPKα deletion promoted mitochondrial fission in vascular endothelial cells by inhibiting the autophagy-dependent degradation of Drp1.