1. MECHANISM OF SUPEROXIDE- MEDIATED DAMAGE RELEVANCE TO MITOCHONDRIAL AGING I.B.Afanas’ev Vitamin Research Institute, Moscow, Russia

2. OVERPRODUCTION OF SUPEROXIDE IS ONE OF MAJOR FACTORS OF MITOCHONDRIAL AGING Notwithstanding its famous name, superoxide is a no “super-oxidant,” but it can be a precursor of other reactive species.

3. 1. THE FENTON REACTION O Fe 3+  O 2 + Fe 2+ Fe 2+ + H 2 O 2  Fe 3+ + HO. + HO - 2. DESTRUCTION OF ACONITASE O [2Fe 2+ 2Fe 3+ -4S] + 2 H +  H 2 O 2 + [Fe 2+ 3Fe 3+ -4S] [Fe 2+ 3Fe 3+ -4S]  [3Fe 3+ -4S] + Fe THE FORMATION OF PEROXYNITRITE O NO  ONOO -

4. A major characteristic of free radical reactivity is the indiscriminate interaction with neighboring molecules. However, the last developments demonstrate the inhibitory and stimulatory effects of superoxide, which are difficult to explain only by its role as a precursor of reactive species.

5. 1. Enhancement by superoxide of hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol (PIP) to inositol 1,4,5-tris- phosphate (IP 3 ) in rat aortic smooth cells: PIP  (O 2.- )  IP 3 ( L Wu and J de Camplain, Hypertension, 1999 )

6. 2. Induction of apoptosis in mesangial cells by superoxide-dependent inhibition of phosphorylation of serine-threonine kinase Akt (protein kinase B) and activation of proapoptotic protein BAD Glucose  O 2.-  Inhibition of Akt  BAD activation  apoptosis in mesangial cells ( PS Kang et al., Am J Physiol. 2003)

7. 3. The enhancement of expression of phosphorylated Akt after cerebral ischemia in SOD1 transgenic mice and a decrease in BAD activation due to decrease in superoxide formation. (N Noshita, et al., Stroke 2003)

8. On the other hand : 3. The activation of Akt in human hepatoma cells by low O 2.- concentrations probably through increasing Akt phosphorylation. S Dong-Yun, et al., FEBS Lett. 2003

9. WHAT PROPERTY OF SUPEROXIDE COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS SELECTIVE SIGNALING ? There are very important but now frequently forgotten superoxide reactions: Not being a “super-oxidant,” superoxide is “super-nucleophil” with high reactivity in heterolytic reactions:

10. HYDROLYSIS OF ESTERS O RCOOR’  RC(O)OO. + R’O - RC(O)OO. + O 2.-  RC(O)OO - + O 2 DEPROTONATION O ROH  RO - + HOO. HOO. + O 2.-  HOO - + O 2

11. HYPOTHETICAL MECHANISM OF SUPEROXIDE-MEDIATED BAD DEPHOSPHORYLATION BAD[OP(O)(OR 2 ) + O 2.-  BAD[O - ] +. OOP(O)(OR) 2. OOP(O)(OR) 2 + O 2.-  - OOP(O)(OR) 2 + O 2

12. HYPOTHETICAL MECHANISM OF Akt PHOSPHORYLATION THROUGH SUPEROXIDE- MEDIATED DEPROTONATION Akt[OH] + O 2.-  Akt[O - ] + HOO. Akt[O - ] + P(O)(OR) 3  Akt[OP(O)(OR) 2 + RO -

13. CONCLUSIONS OVERPRODUCTION of SUPEROXIDE by MITOCHONDRIA MAY STIMULATE APOPTOTIC or ANTIAPOPTOTIC PROCESSES by the PHOSPHORYLATION and DEPHOSPHORYLATION of PROTEIN KINASE B (Akt) and APOPTOTIC PROTEIN BAD via HETEROLYTIC REACTIONS of HYDROLYSIS and DEPROTONATION