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Using high-throughput screening we identified small molecules that suppress superoxide and/or H2O2 production during reverse electron transport through mitochondrial respiratory complex I (site IQ) without affecting oxidative phosphorylation (suppressors of site IQ electron leak, “S1QELs”). S1QELs diminished endogenous oxidative damage in primary astrocytes cultured at ambient or low oxygen tension, showing that site IQ is a normal contributor to mitochondrial superoxide-H2O2 production in cells. They diminished stem cell hyperplasia in Drosophila intestine in vivo and caspase activation in a cardiomyocyte cell model driven by endoplasmic reticulum stress, showing that superoxide-H2O2 production by site IQ is involved in cellular stress signaling. They protected against ischemia-reperfusion injury in perfused mouse heart, showing directly that superoxide-H2O2 production by site IQ is a major contributor to this pathology. S1QELs are tools for assessing the contribution of site IQ to cell physiology and pathology and have great potential as therapeutic leads.

Mitochondrial electron transport drives ATP synthesis but also generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are both cellular signals and damaging oxidants. Superoxide production by respiratory complex III is implicated in diverse signaling events and pathologies but its role remains controversial. Using high-throughput screening we identified compounds that selectively eliminate superoxide production by complex III without altering oxidative phosphorylation; they modulate retrograde signaling including cellular responses to hypoxic and oxidative stress.