Mitochondrial metabolomics reveals compartment-specific metabolic responses in yeast cells

Mutations in mitochondrial membrane proteins could cause physiological and metabolic alterations in mitochondria as well as in cytosol. In order to address the origin of these alterations, mitochondria and cytosol of yeast wild-type BY4741 and two mutants, sdh2Δ and atp4Δ, were isolated from whole cells. These three compartments, namely mitochondria, cytosol and whole cell, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based metabolic profiling, identifying seventy-three metabolites altogether, from which sixteen or ten were not detected either in mitochondria or cytosol. Compartment-specific distribution and regulation of metabolites were observed, showing the responses to the deletions of sdh2 and atp4. Based on the metabolic signature in mitochondrial matrix and cytosol, both mutants can be discriminated from wild-type by principal component analysis. De letions of electron chain transport components, sdh2 and atp4, altered not only citrate cycle related metabolites, but also diverse metabolites including amino acids, fatty acids, purine and pyrimidine intermediates and others. By applying metabolomics to isolated mitochondria and cytosol, compartment-specific metabolic regulation can be identified, which is helpful in understanding the molecular mechanism of mitochondrial homeostasis in response to genetic mutations.