Biology subjects

Lemieux, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Lemieux, H..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Mitochondrial-targeted therapy with elamipretide preserves cardiac function and prevents late mortality in murine sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction (SICD) occurs in nearly half of septic patients, is associated with increased mortality, and lacks targeted therapy. Emerging evidence implicates impaired mitochondrial function and metabolic inflexibility as central contributors to myocardial depression. Here, we characterized SICD in a murine model of polymicrobial sepsis and evaluated the therapeutic potential of the cardiolipin-stabilizing peptide elamipretide (Ela). Sepsis induced marked impairments in cardiac performance, accompanied by reductions in cardiac cardiolipin content, impaired mitochondrial respiratory capacity localized to complex I, and altered substrate utilization. Integration of stable isotope metabolic flux tracing with lipidomic, metabolomic, and proteomic analyses identified a convergent metabolic bottleneck at the level of the electron transport system. This defect was associated with upstream accumulation of acetyl-CoA, Co-A esters, and ketone bodies, consistent with impaired oxidative flux and energetic failure. Administration of a single early dose of Ela restored cardiolipin content, complex I function, normalized metabolic flux, improved cardiac function during both acute sepsis and recovery, and completely prevented late sepsis-related mortality. These findings identify cardiolipin-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction as a central pathogenic mechanism underlying SICD and position mitochondrial-targeted therapy as a promising therapeutic strategy in sepsis. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=130 SRC="FIGDIR/small/736409v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (47K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ca5b47org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@2ecfc2org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@149ccb9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1fbcb6_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Ela improves SICD by stabilizing cardiolipin species and improving mitochondrial complex I function. SICD depicted in red denotes conditions altered compared to healthy control cardiomyocyte, SICD+Ela depicted in green denotes changes relative to SICD. SICD, sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction; ELA, elamipretide; ADP, adenosine diphosphate; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; ROS, reactive oxygen species.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2026

Maternal iron deficiency remodels cardiac mitochondria and alters stress responses in hypertensive pregnancy

Maternal iron deficiency (ID) during pregnancy is associated with cardiovascular adaptations, including reduced blood pressure and improved cardiac efficiency in hypertensive pregnancy. However, whether these apparent functional gains are accompanied by preserved cardiac mitochondrial function remains unclear. Given the high metabolic demands of the maternal heart and irons central role in oxidative metabolism, we examined how maternal ID affects cardiac mitochondrial ultrastructure, respiration, dynamics, and redox status in pregnant spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Female SHR and WKY rats were fed iron-replete or iron-restricted diets before and throughout gestation. On gestational day 21, cardiac mitochondrial ultrastructure was assessed by transmission electron microscopy, respiration by high-resolution respirometry, mitochondrial dynamics and quality control proteins by immunoblotting, and antioxidant gene expression by RT-qPCR. Iron restriction reduced maternal hemoglobin levels in both strains. ID dams exhibited enlarged, morphologically heterogeneous mitochondria with reduced cristae density and lower succinate-supported respiration. SHR dams exhibited reduced fusion signalling, reflected by a lower L-OPA1:S-OPA1 ratio, lower MFN2 abundance, and further ID-associated reductions in MFN1 and MFN2. In contrast, DRP1 phosphorylation increased in ID-WKY dams. Iron restriction increased LC3-II:I ratio and BNIP3 in SHR, increased PINK1 in both strains, and increased antioxidant gene expression in ID-SHR but decreased in ID-WKY dams. Despite these alterations, downstream apoptosis activation was not observed. Maternal ID was associated with remodelling of myocardial mitochondrial ultrastructure and selectively constrains iron-dependent respiration in hypertensive pregnancy, suggesting favourable hemodynamic adaptations may coexist with underlying bioenergetic constraints in the maternal heart.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2024

The ER Thioredoxin-Related Transmembrane Protein TMX2 Controls Redox-Mediated Tethering of ER-Mitochondria Contacts (ERMCS)

Thioredoxin-related transmembrane proteins (TMX) of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) have emerged as key regulators of ER membrane properties. Within the ER lumen, TMX proteins and other ER redox enzymes determine oxidative conditions, which control the formation of ER-mitochondria membrane contacts (ERMCS) and determine their function. ERMCS exhibit cytoplasmic redox nanodomains, derived from ER and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), whose mechanistic regulation is uncharacterized. Our research has identified the ER protein TMX2, which uses its unique cytosolic thioredoxin domain to prevent cytosolic sulfenylation of mitochondrial outer membrane proteins such as TOM70 through a functional interaction with peroxiredoxin-1 (PRDX1). By doing so, TMX2 interferes with the TOM70 ERMCS tethering function and reduces mitochondrial Ca2+ flux and metabolism. Recently, TMX2 mutations have been identified to cause a neurodevelopmental disorder with microcephaly, cortical malformations, and spasticity (NEDMCMS). Using TMX2-mutated NEDMCMS patient cells, we demonstrate that compromising TMX2 through mutation reproduces mitochondrial defects. In a fly in vivo model, TMX2 knockdown manifests predominantly in glial cells. Our results therefore provide important mechanistic insight into NEDMCMS and mechanistically link TMX2-mediated control of ERMCS to brain development and function. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=150 SRC="FIGDIR/small/589228v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (71K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@809587org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d8ef0corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@135fdc6org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a7f7b6_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG The transmembrane thioredoxin-related TMX2 prevents TOM70 sulfenylation at ERMCS, thus maintaining normal mitochondria metabolism in wild-type cells. TMX2 knockout leads to TOM70 sulfenylation and tight ERMCS formation. This then increases ROS production, unbalances mitochondrial lipids, and relatively shifts OXPHOS electron supply to complex II.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Impairment of mitochondrial respiratory function as an early biomarker of apoptosis induced by growth factor removal

Intracellular signaling pathways not only control cell proliferation and survival, but also regulate the provision of cellular energy and building blocks through mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial metabolism. Wild-type and oncogenic RAF kinases have been shown to prevent apoptosis following the removal of interleukin 3 (IL-3) from mouse pro-myeloid 32D cells by reducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. To study primary effects of RAF on mitochondrial energy metabolism, we applied high-resolution respirometry after short-term IL-3 deprivation (8 h), before 32D cells show detectable signs of cell death. Respiration in intact 32D cells was suppressed as an early event following removal of IL-3, but remained more stable in 32D cells expressing the v-RAF oncogene. In permeabilized 32D cells deprived of IL-3, respiratory capacities of the NADH-pathway, the convergent NADH&succinate-pathway, and Complex IV activity were decreased compared to cells grown in the presence of IL-3, whereas succinate-supported respiration remained unchanged, consistent with control by Complex IV. The apparent Complex IV excess capacity was zero above NADH&succinate-pathway capacity reconstituting tricarboxylic acid cycle function. In comparison, electron flow reached only 60% when supported by succinate alone through Complexes II, III and IV, and was therefore relatively insensitive to Complex IV injuries up to a threshold of 40% inhibition. A slight increase in respiration following addition of cytochrome c, a marker of mitochondrial outer membrane leakage, was present after IL-3 depletion, indicating mitochondrial fragility. Our results highlight a novel link between the key mitogenic and survival kinase CRAF and mitochondrial energy homeostasis.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Remodeling Pathway Control of Oxidative Phosphorylation by Temperature in the Heart

The capacity of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and fuel substrate supply are key determinants of cardiac muscle performance. Although temperature exerts a strong effect on energy metabolism, until recently numerous respiratory studies of mammalian mitochondria have been carried out below physiological temperature, with substrates supporting submaximal respiratory capacity. We measured mitochondrial respiration as a function of temperature in permeabilized fibers from the left ventricle of the mouse heart. At 37 {degrees}C, OXPHOS capacity with electron entry through either Complex I or Complex II into the Q-junction was about half of respiratory capacity with the corresponding physiological substrate combination reconstituting tricarboxylic acid cycle function with convergent electron flow through the NADH&succinate (NS) pathway. When separating the component core mitochondrial pathways, the relative contribution of the NADH pathway increased with a decrease of temperature from 37 to 25 {o}C. The additive effect of convergent electron flow has profound consequences for optimization of mitochondrial respiratory control. The apparent excess capacity of cytochrome c oxidase (CIV) was 0.7 above convergent NS-pathway capacity, but would be overestimated nearly 2-fold with respect to respiration restricted by provision of NADH-linked substrates only. The apparent excess capacity of CIV increased sharply at 4 {degrees}C, caused by a strong temperature dependence of and OXPHOS limitation by NADH-linked dehydrogenases. This mechanism of mitochondrial respiratory control in the hypothermic mammalian heart is comparable to the pattern in ectotherm species, pointing towards NADH-linked mt-matrix dehydrogenases and the phosphorylation system rather than electron transfer complexes as the primary drivers of thermal sensitivity at low temperature and likely modulators of temperature adaptation and acclimatization. Delineating the link between stress and remodeling of OXPHOS is critically important for improving our understanding of metabolic perturbations in disease evolution and cardiac protection. Temperature is not a trivial experimental parameter to consider when addressing these questions.

biochemistry↗