The copper ionophore disulfiram improves mitochondrial function in various yeast and human cellular models of mitochondrial diseases
The copper ionophore disulfiram (DSF) is commonly used to treat chronic alcoholism and has potential anti-cancer activity. Using a yeast-based screening assay of FDA-approved compounds, DSF was herein identified for its ability to improve oxidative phosphorylation-dependent growth of various yeast models of mitochondrial diseases caused by a wide range of defects in ATP synthase, complexes III and IV, cardiolipin remodeling, maintenance and translation of the mitochondrial genome. This compound also showed beneficial effects in cells derived from patients suffering from Barth or MELAS syndromes, two mitochondrial diseases associated respectively with a lack in cardiolipin remodeling and protein synthesis inside the organelle. We provide evidence that the rescuing activity of DSF results from its ability to transport copper ions across biological membranes. Indeed, other copper ionophores (pyrithione and elesclomol) and supplementation of the growth media with copper ions had also beneficial effects in yeast and human cells with dysfunctional mitochondria. Our data suggest that the copper-dependent rescuing activity in these cells results from a better capacity to assemble cytochrome c oxidase. Altogether, our findings hold promise for the development of new therapeutic strategies for mitochondrial disorders.
Authors
- Véronique Paquis‐Flucklinger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6138-4867)
- Valérie Desquiret‐Dumas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9551-9400)
- Nathalie Bonnefoy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5068-8849)
- Marine Bouhier
- Naïg Guéguen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3094-8121)
- Elodie Sardin
- Laetitia Dard
- Cristina Panozzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1035-0939)
- Aurélie Renaud
- Agnès Rötig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0589-0703)
- Anaïs Hoarau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1659-011X)
- Claire Almyre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8865-8082)
- Aurore Inisan
- Olivier R. Baris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0974-6856)
- Gwendal Dujardin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4320-6351)
- Déborah Tribouillard‐Tanvier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2290-5375)
- Bénédicte Lelièvre
- Nadège Loaëc (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5567-0210)
- Carole H. Sellem
- John P. Richard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0440-2387)
- François Godard
- Marc Blondel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4897-2995)
- Stéphane Azoulay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1125-9291)
- Agnès Delahodde
- Vincent Procaccio
- Vanessa Bergeron (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0401-9735)
- Nolwenn Bounaix
- Anne-Louise Cayer
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Université de Bordeaux (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- Université Côte d'Azur (FR)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (FR)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Institut de Chimie de Nice (FR)
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (FR)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers (FR)
- Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer et le Vieillissement de Nice (FR)
- CEA Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Établissement Français du Sang (FR)
- Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires (FR)
- Institut des Maladies Génétiques Imagine (FR)
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire des Eucaryotes (FR)
- Université d'Angers (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Human Molecular Genetics
- Published
- 2025-04-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaf061
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.42