In organello and in vivo evidence of the importance of the regulatory sulfhydryl/disulfide system and pyruvate for alternative oxidase activity in tobacco

After isolation of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaf mitochondria, alternative oxidase (AOX) is predominantly present as the disulfide-linked, less-active "oxidized" form. In an in organello assay, significant AOX activity was dependent upon both the reduction of the regulatory disulfide bond (such as occurs by dithiothreitol) and upon the presence of the activator pyruvate. However, AOX activity in these assays was substantially affected when mitochondria were isolated in the presence of pyruvate. First, pyruvate protects against the oxidation of the regulatory sulfhydryl during isolation, such that subsequent in organello AOX activity is not dependent upon dithiothreitol. Second, pyruvate stabilizes AOX activity, such that mitochondria kept in the presence of pyruvate have higher maximum rates of AOX activity than mitochondria kept for some time in the absence of pyruvate. The ability of pyruvate to protect against AOX oxidation was exploited to assess the in vivo status of the regulatory sulfhydryl/disulfide system. In both tobacco suspension cells and tobacco leaves with high levels of AOX protein, the protein is predominantly present as the "reduced" active form in vivo under a range of respiratory conditions. Experiments also indicate that, while the presence of reduced protein may be a necessary prerequisite for significant AOX activity, it is not sufficient for activity and other factors must also be critical.