CISD1 codifies a mitochondrial protein upregulated by the CFTR channel

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomic recessive disease caused by mutations in the CFTR chloride channel, which indirectly affect the expression of a net of genes. Here we describe a new CFTR-dependent gene, CISD1, encoding for the first member of a family of proteins possessing a CDGSH signature. CISD1 mRNA is down-regulated in cystic fibrosis cells, and restored in the same cells ectopically expressing wt-CFTR (CFDE and CFDE/6RepCFTR; IB3-1 and S9 cells). Inhibition of CFTR chloride transport activity by using glibenclamide (50 μM, 24 h) or CFTR(inh)-172 (5 μM, 24 h), resulted in the down-regulation of CISD1 mRNA, and CFTR stimulation with cAMP/isoproterenol/IBMX upregulated its expression. As predicted by PSORT II, a CISD1-GFP chimera was found to be located into mitochondria, suggesting a possible role in the function/regulation of mitochondrial activity, in agreement with earlier observations of a possible mitochondrial failure in cystic fibrosis.