Expression profiling of attenuated mitochondrial function identifies retrograde signals in Drosophila

Mitochondria are able to modulate cell state and fate during normal and pathophysiologic conditions through a nuclear mediated mechanism collectively termed as a retrograde response. Our previous studies in Drosophila have clearly established that progress through the cell cycle is precisely regulated by the intrinsic activity of the mitochondrion by specific signaling cascades mounted by the cell. As a means to further our understanding of how mitochondrial energy status affects nuclear control of basic cell decisions we have employed Affymetrix microarray-based transcriptional profiling of Drosophila S2 cells knocked down for the gene encoding subunit Va of the complex IV of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The profiling data identifies up-regulation of glycolytic genes and metabolic studies confirm this increase in glycolysis. The transcriptional portrait which emerges implicates many signaling systems, including a p53 response, an insulin response, and up-regulation of conserved mitochondrial responses. This rich dataset provides many novel targets for further understanding the mechanism whereby the mitochondrion may direct cellular fate decisions. The data also provides a salient model of the shift of metabolism from a predominately oxidative state towards a predominately aerobic glycolytic state, and therefore provides a model of energy substrate management not unlike that found in cancer. Drosophila S2 cells were transfected with siRNA specific for either green flourescent protein (GFP) or cytochrome oxidase subunit va (COVA) thereby knocking down electron transport in the COVA transfectants