Nitric oxide and other reactive nitrogen species target multiple sites in the mitochondria to impact cellular bioenergetics and survival. Kinetic imaging studies revealed that NO from either activated macrophages or donor compounds rapidly diffuses to the mitochondria, causing a dose dependent progressive increase in NO-dependent DAF fluorescence that corresponded to mitochondrial membrane potential loss, and initiated alterations in cellular bioenergetics that ultimately led to necrotic cell death. Cellular dysfunction is mediated by an elevated 3-nitrotyrosine signature of the mitochondrial complex I subunit NDUFB8, which is vital for normal mitochondrial function as evidenced by selective knockdown via siRNA. Overexpression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase substantially decreased NDUFB8 nitration and restored mitochondrial homeostasis. Further, treatment of cells with either necrostatin-1 or siRNA knockdown of RIP1 and RIP3 prevented NO-mediated necrosis. This work demonstrates that the interaction between NO and mitochondrially-derived superoxide alters mitochondrial bioenergetics and cell function, thus providing a molecular mechanism for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species-mediated alterations in mitochondrial homeostasis.

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