Novel mechanism of elimination of malfunctioning mitochondria (mitoptosis): formation of mitoptotic bodies and extrusion of mitochondrial material from the cell.

Energy catastrophe, when mitochondria hydrolyze glycolytic ATP instead of producing respiratory ATP, has been modeled. In highly glycolyzing HeLa cells, 30-50% of the population survived after inhibition of respiration and uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation for 2-4 days. The survival was accompanied by selective elimination of mitochondria.

Thread-grain transition of mitochondrial reticulum as a step of mitoptosis and apoptosis.

Association of mitochondrial population to a mitochondrial reticulum is typical of many types of the healthy cells. This allows the cell to organize a united intracellular power-transmitting system. However, such an association can create some difficulties for the cell when a part of the reticulum is damaged or when mitochondria should migrate from one cell region to another.

Oligomycin, inhibitor of the F0 part of H+-ATP-synthase, suppresses the TNF-induced apoptosis.

The release of cytochrome c from the intermembrane space of mitochondria into the cytosol is one of the critical events in apoptotic cell death. In the present study, it is shown that release of cytochrome c and apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) in HeLa cells can be inhibited by (i) overexpression of an oncoprotein Bcl-2, (ii) Cyclosporin A, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) or (iii) oligomycin, an inhibitor of H+- ATP-synthase. Staurosporine-induced apoptosis is sensitive to Bcl-2 but insensitive to Cyclosporin A and oligomycin.