Asymmetric Opening of Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore in Mouse Brain Hemispheres: A Link to the Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Complex

Abstract

The prolonged entry of large amounts of calcium into the mitochondria through the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex (MCUC) may cause the permeability transition pore (mPTP) to open, which contributes to the pathogenesis of several diseases. Tissue-specific differences in mPTP opening due to variable expression of MCUC components may contribute to disease outcomes. We designed this study to determine differential mPTP opening in mitochondria isolated from different regions of mouse brain and kidney and to compare it with the expression of MCUC components. mPTP opening was measured using mitochondria isolated from the left/right brain hemispheres (LH/RH, respectively) and from kidney cortex/medulla, while the expression level of MCUC components was assessed from total cellular RNA. Interestingly, LH mitochondria showed less calcium-induced mPTP opening as compared to RH mitochondria at two different calcium concentrations. Conversely, mPTP opening was similar in the renal cortex and renal medulla mitochondria. However, the kidney mitochondria demonstrated bigger and faster mPTP opening as compared to the brain mitochondria. Furthermore, asymmetric mPTP opening in the LH and RH mitochondria was not associated with the expression of MCUC components. In brief, this study demonstrates thus far unreported asymmetric mPTP opening in mouse brain hemispheres that is not associated with the mRNA levels of MCUC components.