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First described over 50 years ago, Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused primarily by mutations of the X-linked MECP2 gene. RTT affects predominantly females, and has a prevalence of roughly 1 in every 10,000 female births. Prior to the discovery that mutations of MECP2 are the leading cause of RTT, there were suggestions that RTT could be a mitochondrial disease. In fact, several reports documented altered mitochondrial structure, and deficiencies in mitochondrial enzyme activity in different cells or tissues derived from RTT patients. With the identification of MECP2 as the causal gene, interest largely shifted toward defining the normal function of MeCP2 in the brain, and how its absence affects the neurodevelopment and neurophysiology. Recently, though, interest in studying mitochondrial function in RTT has been reignited, at least in part due to observations suggesting systemic oxidative stress does play a contributing role in RTT pathogenesis. Here we review data relating to mitochondrial alterations at the structural and functional levels in RTT patients and model systems, and present a hypothesis for how the absence of MeCP2 could lead to altered mitochondrial function and elevated levels of cellular oxidative stress. Finally, we discuss the prospects for treating RTT using interventions that target specific aspects of mitochondrial dysfunction and/or oxidative stress.

In the nervous system the influx of Ca2+ orchestrates multiple biochemical and electrical events essential for development and function. A major route for Ca2+ entry is through voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs). It is becoming increasingly clear that the precise contribution VDCCs make to neuronal function depends not only upon their specific electrophysiological properties but also on their distribution over the nerve cell surface. One location where the presence of VDCCs may be critical is the dendritic spine, a structure known to be the major site of excitatory synaptic input. On spines, VDCCs are hypothesized to play an essential role in signal processing, learning, and memory. However, direct evidence for the presence of VDCCs on spines is lacking. Attempts to examine the distribution of VDCCs, or indeed any other components, on spines have been hampered since the size of many spines is close to the limits of resolution of conventional light microscopy. Using a new, biologically active, fluorescein conjugate of omega-conotoxin (Fl-omega-CgTx), a selective blocker of N-type VDCCs, and confocal microscopy, we have mapped the distributions of N-type VDCCs on live CA1 neurons in rat hippocampal slices. VDCCs were found on somata, throughout the dendritic arbor, and on dendritic spines in all hippocampal subfields. A comparison of three- dimensional reconstructions of structures labeled by Fl-omega-CgTx with those outlined by 1,1-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine (Dil) or Lucifer yellow confirmed the presence of N-type VDCCs on dendritic spines. However, spine frequency on dendrites labeled with Fl- omega-CgTx was much lower than the spine frequency on dendrites labeled with Lucifer yellow or Dil, suggesting that some spines lack N-type VDCCs. These results offer the first direct evidence for the localization of any voltage-dependent channel on dendritic spines. The presence of N-type VDCCs on dendrites and their spines argues that these channels may participate in the generation of active Ca2+ conductances in distal dendrites, and is consistent with a role for spines as specialized compartments for concentrating Ca2+.

Studies on amyloid beta (Ab|), the peptide thought to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, have implicated mitochondria in Ab-mediated neurotoxicity. We used differentiated PC12 cells stably transfected with an inducible green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein containing an N¢-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence (mtGFP), to examine the effects of sub-lethal Ab on the import of nuclear-encoded proteins to mitochondria. Exposure to sub-lethal Ab 25-35 (10 lmol/L) for 48 h inhibited mtGFP import to mitochondria; average rates decreased by 20 ± 4%. Concomitant with the decline in mtGFP, cytoplasmic mtGFP increased significantly while mtGFP expression and intramitochondrial mtGFP turnover were unchanged. Sub-lethal Ab 1-42 inhibited mtGFP import and increased cytoplasmic mtGFP but only after 96 h. The import of two endogenous nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins, mortalin/mtHsp70 and Tom20 also declined. Prior to the decline in import, mitochondrial membrane potential (mmp), and reactive oxygen species levels were unchanged in Ab-treated cells versus reverse phase controls. Sustained periods of decreased import were associated with decreased mmp, increased reactive oxygen species, increased vulnerability to oxygen-glucose deprivation and altered mitochondrial morphology. These findings suggest that an Ab-mediated inhibition of mitochondrial protein import, and the consequent mitochondrial impairment, may contribute to Alzheimer's disease.

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