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Mitochondrial energy in the form of ATP is not only essential for cell survival, but also for the regulation of cell death. The generation of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation requires a functional electron transport chain (ETC; Cx-I to IV) and mitochondrial ATP synthase (Cx-V). Recent studies have shown that these large protein complexes are organized into supercomplexes, called respirasomes and synthasomes1,2. It is challenging to analyze the assembly, dynamics, and activity regulation of these massive complexes and supercomplexes. While oxygen consumption measurements taken with an oxygen electrode and enzyme assays conducted using a spectrophotometer can give valuable information about ETC complex activity, these assays cannot provide information regarding the presence, size, and subunit composition of the protein complex or supercomplexes involved. However, the development of blue and clear native (BN and CN, respectively) PAGE3 has created a powerful tool for revealing important information about complex composition and assembly/disassembly and about the dynamic regulation of the supramolecular organization of these vital respiratory complexes under physiological and pathological conditions4.
The assembly of these complexes into higher-order supercomplexes appears to regulate mitochondrial structure and function5. For example, respirasome assembly increases the efficiency of electron transfer and the generation of the proton motive force across the mitochondrial inner membrane5. In addition, the assembly of synthasomes not only increases the efficiency of ATP production and the transfer of energy equivalents into the cytoplasm2, but it also molds the mitochondrial inner membrane into the tubular cristae6,7. Studies of supercomplex assembly during cardiac development in mouse embryos show that the generation of Cx-I-containing supercomplexes in the heart begins at about embryonic day 13.58. Others have shown that the amount of Cx-I-containing supercomplexes decreases in the heart due to aging or ischemia/reperfusion injuries9,10 or may play a role in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases11.
This protocol describes methods for native gel PAGE that can be used to investigate the assembly and activity of the ETC complexes and supercomplexes. The approximate molecular weight of mitochondrial supercomplexes can be assessed by separating the protein complexes in CN or BN polyacrylamide gels. CN PAGE also allows for the visualization of the enzymatic activity of all mitochondrial complexes directly in the gel (in-gel assays; IGA)12. This work demonstrates the activity of respirasomes by highlighting the ability of Cx-I to oxidize NADH through IGA and the presence of synthasomes due to the ATP-hydrolyzing activity of Cx-V by IGA. The multiple complexes and supercomplexes containing Cx-I and Cx-V can also be demonstrated by transferring the proteins onto nitrocellulose membranes and performing immunoblotting. The advantage of this approach is that BN or CN PAGE generally separates protein complexes based on their physiological size and composition; the transfer to a membrane preserves this pattern of bands. Analyzing protein complexes in a BN or CN PAGE can also be done using 2D-PAGE (see Fiala et al.13 for a demonstration) or by sucrose density centrifugation14,15. To further analyze a specific band, it can be excised from the BN PAGE, and the proteins from this protein complex can be purified by electroeluting them under native conditions. Native electroelution can be performed within a few hours, which could make a significant difference to the passive diffusion (as used in Reference 16) of proteins from a gel into the surrounding buffer.
In summary, these methods describe several approaches that allow for the further characterization of high-molecular-weight supercomplexes from mitochondrial membranes.