Search results for " mitochondria."

Hsp10 beyond mitochondria: novel locations predict as yet undescribed roles

2010

Cancer as a “Mitochondriopathy”.

2007

Mitochondria are subcellular organelles, whose well-known function is to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Alterations in respiratory activity and mtDNA appear to be a general feature of malignant cells. The presence of mtDNA mutations has been reported in various cancer cells, and the abundance of mtDNA damage is consistent with the intrinsic susceptibility to constitutive oxidative stress. Research about the functional aspects of mtDNA mutations in cancer development and therapeutic response is likely to be fruitful and to have significant clinical and prognostic impact. Although many studies to date have been focused on the identification an…

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: principles and clinical applications

2009

Diagnostic polymorphisms in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene allow discrimination between cattle, sheep, goat, roe buck and deer by PCR-RFLP

2004

Abstract Background As an alternative to direct DNA sequencing of PCR products, random PCR-RFLP is an efficient technique to discriminate between species. The PCR-RFLP-method is an inexpensive tool in forensic science, even if the template is degraded or contains only traces of DNA from various species. Results Interspecies-specific DNA sequence polymorphisms in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were analyzed using PCR-RFLP technology to determine the source (i.e., species) of blood traces obtained from a leaf. Conclusions The method presented can be used for the discrimination of cattle (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus), roe buck (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Ce…

The Mitochondrial tRNASer(UCN) Gene: A Novel m.7484A>G Mutation Associated with Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy and Literature Review

2023

Mitochondrial tRNASer(UCN) is considered a hot-spot for non-syndromic and aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss. However, many patients have been described with more extensive neurological diseases, mainly including epilepsy, myoclonus, ataxia, and myopathy. We describe a novel homoplasmic m.7484A>G mutation in the tRNASer(UCN) gene affecting the third base of the anticodon triplet in a girl with profound intellectual disability, spastic tetraplegia, sensorineural hearing loss, a clinical history of epilepsia partialis continua and vomiting, typical of MELAS syndrome, leading to a myoclonic epilepticus status, and myopathy with severe COX deficiency at muscle biopsy. The mutation was also …

Molecular phylogenetics and historical biogeography of the west-palearctic common toads (Bufo bufo species complex)

2012

In most pan-Eurasiatic species complexes, two phenomena have been traditionally considered key processes of their cladogenesis and biogeography. First, it is hypothesized that the origin and development of the Central Asian Deserts generated a biogeographic barrier that fragmented past continuous distributions in Eastern and Western domains. Second, Pleistocene glaciations have been proposed as the main process driving the regional diversification within each of these domains. The European common toad and its closest relatives provide an interesting opportunity to examine the relative contributions of these paleogeographic and paleoclimatic events to the phylogeny and biogeography of a wide…

Characterizing a hybrid zone between a cryptic species pair of freshwater snails.

2015

Characterizing hybrid zones and their dynamics is a central goal in evolutionary biology, but this is particularly challenging for morphologically cryptic species. The lack of conspicuous divergence between parental types means intermediate hybrid forms often go undetected. We aimed to detect and characterize a suspected hybrid zone between a pair of morphologically cryptic lineages of the freshwater snail, Radix. We sampled Radix from across a contact zone between two mitochondrial lineages (Radix balthica and an undescribed lineage termed 'MOTU3') and detected admixture between two nuclear genotype clusters, which were significantly but not categorically associated with the mitochondrial …

Mitochondrial DNA variation and the evolutionary history of cryptic Gammarus fossarum types.

2000

The evolutionary history of the cryptic Gammarus fossarum species complex (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in Central Europe was approached by investigating the genetic variation in populations of a natural contact zone. Nucleotide sequence variation of a 395-bp segment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene was compared to that of six nuclear allozyme loci. Three major mtDNA lineages were found, the eastern clade being consistent with the former allozyme type A. The two western clades (types B and C) were not distinguished previously. Strong sequence divergence and correlation with nuclear genetic isolation in syntopic populations, however, justifies the specific status of the three G. fossarum types. T…

Prokaryotic symbiotic consortia and the origin of nucleated cells: A critical review of Lynn Margulis hypothesis.

2021

The publication in the late 1960s of Lynn Margulis endosymbiotic proposal is a scientific milestone that brought to the fore of evolutionary discussions the issue of the origin of nucleated cells. Although it is true that the times were ripe, the timely publication of Lynn Margulis' original paper was the product of an intellectually bold 29-years old scientist, who based on the critical analysis of the available scientific information produced an all-encompassing, sophisticated narrative scheme on the origin of eukaryotic cells as a result of the evolution of prokaryotic consortia and, in bold intellectual stroke, put it all in the context of planetary evolution. A critical historical reas…

CB(1) signaling in forebrain and sympathetic neurons is a key determinant of endocannabinoid actions on energy balance

2010

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a critical role in obesity development. The pharmacological blockade of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB(1)) has been shown to reduce body weight and to alleviate obesity-related metabolic disorders. An unsolved question is at which anatomical level CB(1) modulates energy balance and the mechanisms involved in its action. Here, we demonstrate that CB(1) receptors expressed in forebrain and sympathetic neurons play a key role in the pathophysiological development of diet-induced obesity. Conditional mutant mice lacking CB(1) expression in neurons known to control energy balance, but not in nonneuronal peripheral organs, displayed a lean phenotype and res…