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Expression of oxidative phosphorylation components in mitochondria of long-living Ames dwarf mice

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Abstract

Reduced signaling of the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway is associated with extended life span in several species. Ames dwarf mice are GH-deficient and live >50% longer than wild-type littermates. Previously, we have shown that tissues from Ames mice exhibit elevated levels of antioxidative enzymes, less H2O2 production, and lower oxidative damage suggesting that mitochondrial function may differ between genotypes. To explore the relationship between hormone deficiency and mitochondria in mice with extended longevity, we evaluated activity, protein, and gene expression of oxidative phosphorylation components in dwarf and wild-type mice at varying ages. Liver complex I + III activity was higher in dwarf mice compared to wild-type mice. The activity of I + III decreased between 3 and 20 months of age in both genotypes with greater declines in wild-type mice in liver and skeletal muscle. Complex IV activities in the kidney were elevated in 3- and 20-month-old dwarf mice relative to wild-type mice. In Ames mice, protein levels of the 39 kDa complex I subunit were elevated at 20 months of age when compared to wild-type mouse mitochondria for every tissue examined. Kidney and liver mitochondria from 20-month-old dwarf mice had elevated levels of both mitochondrially-encoded and nuclear-encoded complex IV proteins compared to wild-type mice (p < 0.05). Higher liver ANT1 and PGC-1α mRNA levels were also observed in dwarf mice. Overall, we found that several components of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system were elevated in Ames mice. Mitochondrial to nuclear DNA ratios were not different between genotypes despite the marked increase in PGC-1α levels in dwarf mice. The increased OXPHOS activities, along with lower ROS production in dwarf mice, predict enhanced mitochondrial function and efficiency, two factors likely contributing to long-life in Ames mice.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express sincere gratitude to the National Institutes of Health (Grant #01322899) and the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Pharmacology, Physiology and Therapeutics Department for supporting this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Therapeutics, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 501 N. Columbia Rd, Grand Forks, ND, 58203, USA

    Holly M. Brown-Borg & Sharlene G. Rakoczy

  2. USDA, ARS, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, ND, 58203, USA

    W. Thomas Johnson

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  1. Holly M. Brown-Borg
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  2. W. Thomas Johnson
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Correspondence to Holly M. Brown-Borg.

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The US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Northern Plains Area is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all agency services are available without discrimination.Mention of a trademark or proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee of warranty of the product by the United States Department of Agriculture and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that may also be suitable.

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Brown-Borg, H.M., Johnson, W.T. & Rakoczy, S.G. Expression of oxidative phosphorylation components in mitochondria of long-living Ames dwarf mice. AGE 34, 43–57 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-011-9212-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-011-9212-x

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