Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, mitochondrial (PPIF) is an

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''PPIF''

gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...

. It has also been referred to as, but should not be confused with, cyclophilin D (CypD), which is encoded by the '' PPID'' gene. As a member of the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) family, this protein catalyzes the cis-trans

isomerization In chemistry, isomerization or isomerisation is the process in which a molecule, polyatomic ion or molecular fragment is transformed into an isomer with a different chemical structure. Enolization is an example of isomerization, as is tautomer ...

of proline imidic

peptide bond In organic chemistry, a peptide bond is an amide type of covalent chemical bond linking two consecutive alpha-amino acids from C1 (carbon number one) of one alpha-amino acid and N2 (nitrogen number two) of another, along a peptide or protein cha ...

s, which allows it to facilitate folding or repair of proteins. PPIF is a major component of the

mitochondrial permeability transition pore The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP or MPTP; also referred to as PTP, mTP, or MTP) is a protein pore complex that forms in the inner mitochondrial membrane under certain pathological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, isch ...

(MPTP) and, thus, highly involved in mitochondrial

metabolism Metabolism (, from ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cellular processes; the co ...

and

apoptosis Apoptosis (from ) is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms and in some eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms such as yeast. Biochemistry, Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (Morphology (biol ...

, as well as in mitochondrial diseases and related conditions, including cardiac diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and

muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...

. In addition, PPIF participates in

inflammation Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin ''calor'', '' ...

, as well as in ischemic reperfusion injury,

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

, and

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

Structure

Like other cyclophilins, PPIF forms a β-barrel structure with a hydrophobic core. This

β-barrel In protein structures, a beta barrel (β barrel) is a beta sheet (β sheet) composed of Protein tandem repeats, tandem repeats that twists and coils to form a closed toroidal structure in which the first strand is bonded to the last strand (hydrog ...

is composed of eight anti-parallel β-strands and capped by two

α-helices An alpha helix (or α-helix) is a sequence of amino acids in a protein that are twisted into a coil (a helix). The alpha helix is the most common structural arrangement in the secondary structure of proteins. It is also the most extreme type of l ...

at the top and bottom. In addition, the β-turns and loops in the strands contribute to the flexibility of the barrel. PPIF weighs 17.5 kDa and forms part of the MPTP in the

inner mitochondrial membrane The inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is the mitochondrial membrane which separates the mitochondrial matrix from the intermembrane space. Structure The structure of the inner mitochondrial membrane is extensively folded and compartmentalized. T ...

(IMM).

Function

The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (

PPIase Prolyl isomerase (also known as peptidylprolyl isomerase or PPIase) is an enzyme () found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes that interconverts the ''cis'' and ''trans'' isomers of peptide bonds with the amino acid proline. Proline has an unusua ...

) family. PPIases catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of

proline Proline (symbol Pro or P) is an organic acid classed as a proteinogenic amino acid (used in the biosynthesis of proteins), although it does not contain the amino group but is rather a secondary amine. The secondary amine nitrogen is in the p ...

imidic peptide bonds in

oligopeptide An oligopeptide ('' oligo-'', "a few"), is a peptide consisting of two to twenty amino acids, including dipeptides, tripeptides, tetrapeptides, and other polypeptides. Some of the major classes of naturally occurring oligopeptides include aerugi ...

s and accelerate the

folding Fold, folding or foldable may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Fold'' (album), the debut release by Australian rock band Epicure * Fold (poker), in the game of poker, to discard one's hand and forfeit interest in the current pot *Abov ...

of proteins. Generally, PPIases are found in all eubacteria and eukaryotes, as well as in a few archaebacteria, and thus are highly conserved. The PPIase family is further divided into three structurally distinct subfamilies:

cyclophilin Cyclophilins (CYPs) are a family of proteins named after their ability to bind to ciclosporin (cyclosporin A), an immunosuppressant which is usually used to suppress rejection after internal organ transplants. They are found in all domains of lif ...

(CyP), FK506-binding protein (

FKBP The FKBPs, or FK506 binding proteins, constitute a family of proteins that have prolyl isomerase activity and are related to the cyclophilins in function, though not in amino acid sequence. FKBPs have been identified in many eukaryotes, rangin ...

), and

parvulin ] Parvulin, a 92-amino acid protein discovered in E. coli in 1994,Rahfeld JU, Schierhorn A, Mann KH. (1994). A novel peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase from Escherichia coli. ''FEBS Lett'' 343:65. is the smallest known protein with prolyl isomeras ...

(Pvn). As a cyclophilin, PPI binds

cyclosporin A Ciclosporin, also spelled cyclosporine and cyclosporin, is a calcineurin inhibitor, used as an immunosuppressant medication. It is taken orally or intravenously for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, nephrotic syndrome, eczem ...

(CsA) and can be found within the cell or secreted by the cell. In eukaryotes, cyclophilins localize ubiquitously to many cell and tissue types, though studies on PPIF focus primarily on heart, liver, and brain tissue. In addition to PPIase and protein chaperone activities, cyclophilins also function in mitochondrial metabolism, apoptosis, immunological response, inflammation, and cell growth and proliferation. PPIF is especially involved in mitochondrial apoptosis as a major component of the MPTP. Through its PPIase ability, the protein interacts with and induces a conformational change in adenine nucleotide translocase (

ANT Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...

), the other MPTP component. This activation, along with high calcium ion levels, induces the opening the MPTP, resulting in mitochondrial swelling, increasing

reactive oxygen species In chemistry and biology, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly Reactivity (chemistry), reactive chemicals formed from diatomic oxygen (), water, and hydrogen peroxide. Some prominent ROS are hydroperoxide (H2O2), superoxide (O2−), hydroxyl ...

(ROS) levels, membrane

depolarization In biology, depolarization or hypopolarization is a change within a cell (biology), cell, during which the cell undergoes a shift in electric charge distribution, resulting in less negative charge inside the cell compared to the outside. Depolar ...

, failing ATP production,

caspase Caspases (cysteine-aspartic proteases, cysteine aspartases or cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases) are a family of protease enzymes playing essential roles in programmed cell death. They are named caspases due to their specific cyste ...

cascade activation, and ultimately, apoptosis.

Clinical significance

As a cyclophilin, PPIF binds the immunosuppressive drug CsA to form a CsA-cyclophilin complex, which then targets calcineurin to inhibit the signaling pathway for T-cell activation. Due to its association with the MPTP, PPIF is also involved in neurodegenerative diseases, including

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to damage of the optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma may cause vision loss if left untreated. It has been called the "silent thief of ...

diabetic retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy (also known as diabetic eye disease) is a medical condition in which damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes. It is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries and one of the lead causes of sight loss in the wor ...

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

, and

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. For neurodegenerative diseases, treatment of reperfusion events with CsA, a PPID inhibitor, prevents cytochrome C release and significantly reduces cell death in neurons. As such, PPID proves to be an effective therapeutic target for patients suffering neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, PPIF, as part of the MPTP, is involved in ischemia/reperfusion injury,

traumatic brain injury A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...

(TBI), muscular dystrophy, and drug toxicity. Though PPIF was identified as a candidate for

dilated cardiomyopathy Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood effectively. Symptoms vary from none to feeling tired, leg swelling, and shortness of breath. It may also result in chest pain or fainting. C ...

(DCM) for one afflicted family, further study revealed no mutations in the gene to implicate it in the disease. Nonetheless, in cardiac myogenic cells, cyclophilins have been observed to be activated by heat shock and hypoxia-reoxygenation as well as complex with heat shock proteins. Thus, cyclophilins may function in cardioprotection during ischemia-reperfusion injury. Currently, cyclophilin expression is highly correlated with cancer pathogenesis, but the specific mechanisms remain to be elucidated.

Interactions

PPIF has been shown to

interact Advocates for Informed Choice, dba interACT or interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advocating for the legal and human rights of children with intersex traits. The organization was founded in 2006 and fo ...

with: * CsA *

References

External links