Mitochondria are ubiquitous organelles in eukaryotic cells whose primary function is to generate energy supplies in the form of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. As the entry point for most electrons into the respiratory chain, NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, or complex I, is the largest and least understood component of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system. Substantial progress has been made in recent years in understanding its subunit composition, its assembly, the interaction among complex I and other respiratory components, and its role in oxidative stress and apoptosis. This review provides an updated overview of the structure of complex I, as well as its cellular functions, and discusses the implication of complex I dysfunction in various human diseases.

Alterations in oxidative phosphorylation resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction have long been hypothesized to be involved in tumorigenesis. Mitochondria have recently been shown to play an important role in regulating both programmed cell death and cell proliferation. Furthermore, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been found in various cancer cells. However, the role of these mtDNA mutations in tumorigenesis remains largely unknown. This review focuses on basic mitochondrial genetics, mtDNA mutations and consequential mitochondrial dysfunction associated with cancer. The potential molecular mechanisms, mediating the pathogenesis from mtDNA mutations and mitochondrial dysfunction to tumorigenesis are also discussed.

Mitochondrial alteration has been long proposed to play a major role in tumorigenesis. Recently, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been found in a variety of cancer cells. In this study, we examined the contribution of mtDNA mutation and mitochondrial dysfunction in tumorigenesis first using human cell lines carrying a frame-shift at NADH dehydrogenase (respiratory complex I) subunit 5 gene (ND5); the same homoplasmic mutation was also identified in a human colorectal cancer cell line earlier. With increasing mutant ND5 mtDNA content, respiratory function including oxygen consumption and ATP generation through oxidative phosphorylation declined progressively, while lactate production and dependence on glucose increased. Interestingly, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and apoptosis exhibited antagonistic pleiotropy associated with mitochondrial defects. Furthermore, the anchorage-dependence phenotype and tumor-forming capacity of cells carrying wild-type and mutant mtDNA were tested by growth assay in soft agar and subcutaneous implantation of the cells in nude mice. Surprisingly, the cell line carrying the heteroplasmic ND5 mtDNA mutation showed significantly enhanced tumor growth, while cells with homoplasmic form of the same mutation inhibited tumor formation. Similar results were obtained from the analysis of a series of mouse cell lines carrying a nonsense mutation at ND5 gene. Our results indicate that the mtDNA mutations might play an important role in the early stage of cancer development, possibly through alteration of ROS generation and apoptosis.

Previously, we have shown that a heteroplasmic mutation in mitochondrial DNA-encoded complex I ND5 subunit gene resulted in an enhanced tumorigenesis through increased resistance to apoptosis. Here we report that the tumorigenic phenotype associated with complex I dysfunction could be reversed by introducing a yeast NADH quinone oxidoreductase (NDI1) gene. The NDI1 mediated electron transfer from NADH to Co-Q, bypassed the defective complex I and restored oxidative phosphorylation in the host cells. Alternatively, suppression of complex I activity by a specific inhibitor, rotenone or induction of oxidative stress by paraquat led to an increase in the phosphorylation of v-AKT murine thymoma viral oncogene (AKT) and enhanced the tumorigenesis. On the other hand, antioxidant treatment can ameliorate the reactive oxygen species-mediated AKT activation and reverse the tumorigenicity of complex I-deficient cells. Our results suggest that complex I defects could promote tumorigenesis through induction of oxidative stress and activation of AKT pathway.

CASP2/caspase 2 plays a role in aging, neurodegeneration, and cancer. The contributions of CASP2 have been attributed to its regulatory role in apoptotic and nonapoptotic processes including the cell cycle, DNA repair, lipid biosynthesis, and regulation of oxidant levels in the cells. Previously, our lab demonstrated CASP2-mediated modulation of autophagy during oxidative stress. Here we report the novel finding that CASP2 is an endogenous repressor of autophagy. Knockout or knockdown of CASP2 resulted in upregulation of autophagy in a variety of cell types and tissues. Reinsertion of Caspase-2 gene (Casp2) in mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEFs) lacking Casp2 (casp2−/−) suppresses autophagy, suggesting its role as a negative regulator of autophagy. Loss of CASP2-mediated autophagy involved AMP-activated protein kinase, mechanistic target of rapamycin, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and autophagy-related proteins, indicating the involvement of the canonical pathway of autophagy. The present study also demonstrates an important role for loss of CASP2-induced enhanced reactive oxygen species production as an upstream event in autophagy induction. Additionally, in response to a variety of stressors that induce CASP2-mediated apoptosis, casp2−/− cells demonstrate a further upregulation of autophagy compared with wild-type MEFs, and upregulated autophagy provides a survival advantage. In conclusion, we document a novel role for CASP2 as a negative regulator of autophagy, which may provide important insight into the role of CASP2 in various processes including aging, neurodegeneration, and cancer.