The respiratory effects of stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1) on intact mitochondria and cells: STC-1 uncouples oxidative phosphorylation and its actions are modulated by nucleotide triphosphates.

Stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1) is one of only a handful of hormones that are targeted to mitochondria. High affinity receptors for STC-1 are present on cytoplasmic membranes and both the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes of nephron cells and hepatocytes. In both cell types, STC-1 is also present within the mitochondrial matrix and receptors presumably enable its sequestration. Furthermore, studies in bovine heart sub-mitochondrial particles have shown that STC-1 has concentration-dependent stimulatory effects on electron transport chain activity. The aim of the present study was to determine if the same effects could be demonstrated in intact, respiring mitochondria. At the same time, we also sought to demonstrate the functionality, if any, of an ATP binding cassette that has only recently been identified within the N-terminus of STC-1 by Prosite analysis. Intact, respiring mitochondria were isolated from rat muscle and liver and exposed to increasing concentrations of recombinant human STC-1 (STC-1). Following a 1h exposure to 500 nM STC-1, mitochondria from both organs displayed significant increases in respiration rate as compared to controls. Moreover, STC-1 uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation as ADP:O ratios were significantly reduced in mitochondria from both tissues. The resulting uncoupling was correlated with enhanced mitochondrial (45)Ca uptake in the presence of hormone. Respiratory studies were also conducted on a mouse inner medullary collecting cell line, where STC-1 had time and concentration-dependent stimulatory effects within the physiological range. In the presence of nucleotide triphosphates such as ATP and GTP (5mM) the respiratory effects of STC-1 were attenuated or abolished. Receptor binding studies revealed that this was due to a four-fold decrease in binding affinity (KD) between ligand and receptor. The results suggest that STC-1 stimulates mitochondrial electron transport chain activity and calcium transport, and that these effects are negatively modulated by nucleotide triphosphates.