Interaction of biologically active amines with mitochondria and their role in the mitochondrial-mediated pathway of apoptosis
Abstract
The natural polyamines spermine, spermidine and putrescine, polycationic molecules at physiological pH, interact with mitochondrial membranes at two specific binding sites exhibiting low affinity and high binding capacity. This binding represents the first step in the electrophoretic mechanism of polyamine transport into mitochondria. Spermine accumulated into the mitochondrial matrix is able to flow out by an electroneutral mechanism. This process promotes bi-directional transport of polyamines in and out of mitochondria, driven by electrical potential and pH gradient, respectively. Polyamines and biogenic amines are oxidized by cytosolic and mitochondrial amine oxidases with the production of hydrogen peroxide and aldehydes, both of which are involved in the induction and/or amplification of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT). This phenomenon, which provokes a bioenergetic collapse and redox catastrophe, is strongly inhibited by polyamines in isolated mitochondria. Monoamines also exhibit an inhibitory effect at higher concentrations, but at low concentrations behave as inducer agents. MPT is characterized by the opening of a channel, the transition pore, which permits non-specific bi-directional traffic of solut...Continue Reading
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