In vivo and in vitro effects of the mitochondrial uncoupler FCCP on microtubules.

FCCP (carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone), a potent uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, induces the complete disruption of cellular microtubules. A further analysis of this effect on BHK21 cells has shown that a decrease in the number of microtubules can be observed 15 min after adding FCCP and there is complete disruption after 60 min. Regrowth of microtubules was initiated 30 min after removal of FCCP, in marked contrast with the rapid reversion observed when microtubules are disrupted by nocodazole. A similar delay was required for the recovery of mitochondrial function as assessed by rhodamine 123 labelling. The effect of FCCP on microtubules was partially inhibited by preincubation of the cells with NaN3, suggesting that FCCP acts on microtubules through mitochondria. FCCP did not depolymerize microtubules of cells permeabilized with Triton X-100. In vitro polymerisation of microtubule protein was only slightly diminished by concentrations of FCCP which provoke complete disassembly in vivo. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of the microtubules polymerized in vitro in the presence of FCCP showed a reduced amount of high mol. wt. proteins, mainly MAP 2, associated with them. In an attempt to reproduce the mitochondrial effects of FCCP in vitro, we checked the effects of alkaline pH and calcium on microtubule protein polymerization in the presence of FCCP. FCCP did not influence the calcium inhibitory effect but did significantly increase the inhibitory effect of alkaline pH. We conclude that FCCP could depolymerise microtubules in vivo through a dual operation: increasing the intracellular pH by the disruption of the mitochondrial H+ gradient and decreasing the stability of microtubules by impairing the binding of microtubule-associated proteins.