Teng RJ, Wu TJ, Afolayan AJ, Konduri GG. Nitrotyrosine impairs mitochondrial function in fetal lamb pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 310: C80 -C88, 2016. First published October 21, 2015 doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00073.2015.-Nitration of both protein-bound and free tyrosine by reactive nitrogen species results in the formation of nitrotyrosine (NT). We previously reported that free NT impairs microtubule polymerization and uncouples endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) function in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC). Because microtubules modulate mitochondrial function, we hypothesized that increased NT levels during inflammation and oxidative stress will lead to mitochondrial dysfunction in PAEC. PAEC isolated from fetal lambs were exposed to varying concentrations of free NT. At low concentrations (1-10 M), NT increased nitration of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) protein subunit complexes I-V and state III oxygen consumption. Higher concentrations of NT (50 M) caused decreased microtubule acetylation, impaired eNOS interactions with mitochondria, and decreased ETC protein levels. We also observed increases in heat shock protein-90 nitration, mitochondrial superoxide formation, and fragmentation of mitochondria in PAEC. Our data suggest that free NT accumulation may impair microtubule polymerization and exacerbate reactive oxygen species-induced cell damage by causing mitochondrial dysfunction. ) is formed as a byproduct during oxidative phosphorylation, from mitochondrial complexes I and III electron leakage (3). Increased mitochondrial O 2 Ϫ generation is a major contributor to oxidative stress in cells, and the adaptive mechanisms that decrease mitochondrial O 2 Ϫ levels, including manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), are critical to cell survival. Recent studies provided evidence that nitric oxide (NO) may affect mitochondrial O 2 Ϫ formation by modulating oxidative phosphorylation (40) and mitochondrial biogenesis (37). This interaction is believed to play a critical role in vasomotor control.Gao et al. demonstrated that disrupting endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) association with mitochondrial outer membrane leads to an increase in mitochondrial oxygen consumption in endothelial cells (17). NO regulates mitochondrial function by providing a tonic inhibitory control on the oxidative phosphorylation (5,7,11). This modulation of oxygen consumption prevents excess O 2 Ϫ formation, thus decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced cell damage (3, 18).Intimate association between mitochondria and microtubules has been described for more than 30 years (21). Microtubules interact with voltage-dependent anion channel (porin) of mitochondrial outer membrane (10) to regulate mitochondrial function (41). Agents that disturb microtubule polymerization can affect mitochondrial biogenesis (24) and mitochondrial ROS formation (51). It is likely that microtubule-active agents can disturb eNOS-mitochondrial interaction.We previously reported that free nitrotyro...