COX7A2L/SCAFI and Pre-Complex III Modify Respiratory Chain Supercomplex Formation in Different Mouse Strains with a Bcs1l Mutation

The COX7A2L (Supercomplex Assembly Factor I, SCAFI) protein has been proposed to be a mitochondrial supercomplex assembly factor required for respirasome (supercomplex containing complexes I, III, and IV) formation. In the C57BL/6 mouse strain a homozygous in-frame 6-base-pair deletion in the COX7a2l/SCAF1 gene resulting in unstable protein and suggesting loss of function was previously identified. The loss of SCAFI was shown to impede respirasome formation, a major concern for the use of C57BL mouse strains in mitochondrial research. In contradiction, another recent study suggested that supercomplex formation is independent of SCAFI isoforms. We investigated whether SCAFI isoform status affected the disease severity and supercomplex formation in the liver of Bcs1l(c.232A>G) knock-in mice with incomplete complex III assembly. In homozygotes (Bcs1l(G/G)) of mixed (C57BL/6:129/Sv) genetic background, the lifespan was similar in mice with wild-type SCAFI allele and in those homozygous (SCAFI(short/short)) for the deleted SCAF1 variant (34±3 days; n = 6 vs. 32±2 days; n = 7, respectively). SCAFI heterozygosity (SCAFI(long/short)) resulted in decreased SCAFI protein but respirasome assembly was unaffected. Congenic (C57BL/6) mice were of the genotype SCAFI(short/short) and had no detectable SCAFI protein. In their liver mitochondria, respirasome composition was altered as compared to mixed background mice. Complex IV was mainly present as monomers and dimers, and only low amounts were found in combination with complex I and complex III or with precomplex III. The main supercomplex in the liver mitochondria of C57BL/6 mice comprised only complexes I and III. In conclusion, in liver mitochondria of C57BL/6 mice, supercomplexes had markedly reduced amount of, but were not completely depleted of, complex IV, supporting a role for COX7A2L/SCAFI in supercomplex assembly. However, the disease progression of the Bcs1l mutant mice was unrelated to SCAFI isoforms and supercomplex composition, suggesting that other genetic factors contribute to the different survival in the different genetic backgrounds.