Mitochondrial type I nitric oxide synthase physically interacts with cytochrome c oxidase

Neurosci Lett. 2005 Aug 26;384(3):254-9. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.04.085.

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates key aspects of cell metabolism through reversible inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase (CcOX), the terminal electron acceptor (complex IV) of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, in competition with oxygen. Recently, a constitutive mitochondrial NOS corresponding to a neuronal NOS-I isoform (mtNOS-I) has been identified in several tissues. The role of this enzyme might be to generate NO close enough to its target without a significant overall increase in cellular NO concentrations. An effective, selective, and specific NO action might be guaranteed further by a physical interaction between mtNOS-I and CcOX. This possibility has never been investigated. Here we demonstrate that mtNOS-I is associated with CcOX, as proven by electron microscopic immunolocalization and co-immunoprecipitation studies. By affinity chromatography, we found that association is due to physical interaction of mtNOS-I with the C-terminal peptide of the Va subunit of CcOX, which displays a consensus sequence for binding to the PDZ domain of mtNOS-I previously unreported for CcOX. The molecular details of the interaction have been analyzed by means of molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. This is the first evidence of a protein-protein interaction mediated by PDZ domains involving CcOX.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cerebellar Cortex / metabolism*
  • Cerebellar Cortex / ultrastructure
  • Computer Simulation
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mitochondria / enzymology*
  • Mitochondria / ultrastructure
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / ultrastructure
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Neurons / ultrastructure
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / metabolism*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / ultrastructure
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Interaction Mapping / methods*
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
  • Nos1 protein, mouse
  • Electron Transport Complex IV