CAPER Is Vital for Energy and Redox Homeostasis by Integrating Glucose-Induced Mitochondrial Functions via ERR-α-Gabpa and Stress-Induced Adaptive Responses via NF-κB-cMYC

Abstract

Ever since we developed mitochondria to generate ATP, eukaryotes required intimate mito-nuclear communication. In addition, since reactive oxygen species are a cost of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, this demands safeguards as protection from these harmful byproducts. Here we identified a critical transcriptional integrator which eukaryotes share to orchestrate both nutrient-induced mitochondrial energy metabolism and stress-induced nuclear responses, thereby maintaining carbon-nitrogen balance, and preserving life span and reproductive capacity. Inhibition of nutrient-induced expression of CAPER arrests nutrient-dependent cell proliferation and ATP generation and induces autophagy-mediated vacuolization. Nutrient signaling to CAPER induces mitochondrial transcription and glucose-dependent mitochondrial respiration via coactivation of nuclear receptor ERR-α-mediated Gabpa transcription. CAPER is also a coactivator for NF-κB that directly regulates c-Myc to coordinate nuclear transcriptome responses to mitochondrial stress. Finally, CAPER is responsible for anaplerotic carbon flux into TCA cycles from glycolysis, amino acids and fatty acids in order to maintain cellular energy metabolism to counter mitochondrial stress. Collectively, our studies reveal CAPER as an evolutionarily conserved ‘master’ regulatory mechanism by which eukaryotic cells control vital homeostasis for both ATP and antioxidants via CAPER-dependent coordinated control of nuclear and mitochondrial transcriptomic programs and their metabolisms. These CAPER dependent bioenergetic programs are highly conserved, as we demonstrated that they are essential to preserving life span and reproductive capacity in human cells—and even in C. elegans.

Author Summary

Energy homeostasis is a vital prerequisite for optimal nutrient utilization and prolonged survival in an environment with fluctuating and frequently scarce food resources. Numerous studies have elucidated the important roles of mitochondrial energy in fasting status but less is known about the role of mitochondria in fed status. Two recent studies elucidated the importance of nutrient-induced mitochondrial functions [ 1, 2] in mammalian longevity, but these studies did not either address how these critical nutrient-induced mitochondrial functions are integrated with nutrient-enhanced antioxidant capacities—nor identify how the carbon and nitrogen balance is maintained. Our study reveals CAPER, as the `first’ example of a coregulator nodal integrator which eukaryotes share to orchestrate both nutrient-induced mitochondrial energy metabolism by coactivating ERR-α-Gabpa and stress-induced adaptive metabolic responses via NF- κB/c-Myc; this allows maintenance of carbon-nitrogen balance as well as preservation of life span and reproductive capacity. These metabolic roles for the CAPER coactivator in energy homeostasis are highly conserved and crucial for life span and reproduction in human cells and C. elegans.