The Putative Drp1 Inhibitor mdivi-1 Is a Reversible Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitor that Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species

Authors

Amer Khalid MD, Baystate HealthFollow
Nagendra Yadava PhD, Baystate HealthFollow

Author Department

PVLSI; Surgery

Document Type

Article, Peer-reviewed

Publication Date

3-2017

Abstract

Mitochondrial fission mediated by the GTPase dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is an attractive drug target in numerous maladies that range from heart disease to neurodegenerative disorders. The compound mdivi-1 is widely reported to inhibit Drp1-dependent fission, elongate mitochondria, and mitigate brain injury. Here, we show that mdivi-1 reversibly inhibits mitochondrial complex I-dependent O₂ consumption and reverse electron transfer-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production at concentrations (e.g., 50 μM) used to target mitochondrial fission. Respiratory inhibition is rescued by bypassing complex I using yeast NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1. Unexpectedly, respiratory impairment by mdivi-1 occurs without mitochondrial elongation, is not mimicked by Drp1 deletion, and is observed in Drp1-deficient fibroblasts. In addition, mdivi-1 poorly inhibits recombinant Drp1 GTPase activity (K_i > 1.2 mM). Overall, these results suggest that mdivi-1 is not a specific Drp1 inhibitor. The ability of mdivi-1 to reversibly inhibit complex I and modify mitochondrial ROS production may contribute to effects observed in disease models.

Recommended Citation

Bordt EA, Clerc P, Roelofs BA, Saladino AJ, Tretter L, Adam-Vizi V, Cherok E, Khalil A, Yadava N, Ge SX, Francis TC, Kennedy NW, Picton LK, Kumar T, Uppuluri S, Miller AM, Itoh K, Karbowski M, Sesaki H, Hill RB, Polster BM. The Putative Drp1 Inhibitor mdivi-1 Is a Reversible Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitor that Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species. Dev Cell. 2017 Mar 27;40(6):583-594.e6.

PMID

28350990