Schmidt 2021 J Biol Chem

Schmidt CA, Fisher-Wellman KH, Neufer PD (2021) From OCR and ECAR to energy: perspectives on the design and interpretation of bioenergetics studies. J Biol Chem doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101140.

Schmidt CA, Fisher-Wellman KH, Neufer P Darrell (2021) J Biol Chem

Abstract: Biological energy transduction underlies all physiological phenomena in cells. The metabolic systems that support energy transduction have been of great interest due to their association with numerous pathologies including diabetes, cancer, rare genetic diseases, and aberrant cell death. Commercially available bioenergetics technologies (e.g. extracellular flux analysis, high resolution respirometry, fluorescent dye kits, etc.) have made practical assessment of metabolic parameters widely accessible. This has facilitated an explosion in the number of studies exploring, in particular, the biological implications of oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and substrate level phosphorylation via glycolysis (i.e. via extracellular acidification rate (ECAR)). Though these technologies have demonstrated substantial utility and broad applicability to cell biology research, they are also susceptible to historical assumptions, experimental limitations, and other caveats that have led to premature and/or erroneous interpretations. This review enumerates various important considerations for designing and interpreting cellular and mitochondrial bioenergetics experiments, some common challenges and pitfalls in data interpretation, and some potential ‘next steps’ to be taken that can address these highlighted challenges.

• Bioblast editor: Gnaiger E

Labels: MiParea: Respiration, Instruments;methods 

HRR: Oxygraph-2k 

Quotes and comments

• ".. 1) a potentiometric method that uses a platinum hydrogen (Clark) electrode," - Comment: the Clark polarographic oxygen sensor consists of two electrodes, most frequently a silver-silver chloride anode and a gold (sometimes platinum) anode. Since current is measured as the primary signal, it is not a potentiometric method, but actually an amperometric method.

• Reference: Gnaiger E, Steinlechner-Maran R, Méndez G, Eberl T, Margreiter R (1995) Control of mitochondrial and cellular respiration by oxygen. J Bioenerg Biomembr 27:583-96. - Bioblast access