Search results for "Mitochondria"
showing 10 items of 1306 documents
Deferiprone and idebenone rescue frataxin depletion phenotypes in a Drosophila model of Friedreich's ataxia
2013
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), the most common inherited ataxia, is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a reduction in the levels of the mitochondrial protein frataxin, the function of which remains a controversial matter. Several therapeutic approaches are being developed to increase frataxin expression and reduce the intramitochondrial iron aggregates and oxidative damage found in this disease. In this study, we tested separately the response of a Drosophila RNAi model of FRDA ( Llorens et al., 2007) to treatment with the iron chelator deferiprone (DFP) and the antioxidant idebenone (IDE), which are both in clinical trials. The FRDA flies have a shortened life span and impaired motor coord…
Artesunate Activates Mitochondrial Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells via Iron-catalyzed Lysosomal Reactive Oxygen Species Production
2011
The antimalarial agent artesunate (ART) activates programmed cell death (PCD) in cancer cells in a manner dependent on the presence of iron and the generation of reactive oxygen species. In malaria parasites, ART cytotoxicity originates from interactions with heme-derived iron within the food vacuole. The analogous digestive compartment of mammalian cells, the lysosome, similarly contains high levels of redox-active iron and in response to specific stimuli can initiate mitochondrial apoptosis. We thus investigated the role of lysosomes in ART-induced PCD and determined that in MCF-7 breast cancer cells ART activates lysosome-dependent mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization. ART impac…
The marbled crayfish as a paradigm for saltational speciation by autopolyploidy and parthenogenesis in animals
2015
ABSTRACT The parthenogenetic all-female marbled crayfish is a novel research model and potent invader of freshwater ecosystems. It is a triploid descendant of the sexually reproducing slough crayfish, Procambarus fallax, but its taxonomic status has remained unsettled. By cross-breeding experiments and parentage analysis we show here that marbled crayfish and P. fallax are reproductively separated. Both crayfish copulate readily, suggesting that the reproductive barrier is set at the cytogenetic rather than the behavioural level. Analysis of complete mitochondrial genomes of marbled crayfish from laboratory lineages and wild populations demonstrates genetic identity and indicates a single o…
11,12-EET Stimulates the Association of BK Channel α and β1 Subunits in Mitochondria to Induce Pulmonary Vasoconstriction
2012
In the systemic circulation, 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (11,12-EET) elicits nitric oxide (NO)- and prostacyclin-independent vascular relaxation, partially through the activation of large conductance Ca(2+)-activated potassium (BK) channels. However, in the lung 11,12-EET contributes to hypoxia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction. Since pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells also express BK channels, we assessed the consequences of BKβ(1) subunit deletion on pulmonary responsiveness to 11,12-EET as well as to acute hypoxia. In buffer-perfused mouse lungs, hypoxia increased pulmonary artery pressure and this was significantly enhanced in the presence of NO synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (…
Mitochondrial DNA Portrait of Latvians: Towards the Understanding of the Genetic Structure of Baltic-Speaking Populations
2005
Summary Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation was investigated in a sample of 299 Latvians, a Baltic-speaking population from Eastern Europe. Sequencing of the first hypervariable segment (HVS-I) in combination with analysis of informative coding region markers revealed that the vast majority of observed mtDNAs belong to haplogroups (hgs) common to most European populations. Analysis of the spatial distribution of mtDNA haplotypes found in Latvians, as well as in Baltic-speaking populations in general, revealed that they share haplotypes with all neighbouring populations irrespective of their linguistic affiliation. Hence, the results of our mtDNA analysis show that the previously described s…
Mitochondrial DNA Regionalism and Historical Demography in the Extant Populations of Chirocephalus kerkyrensis (Branchiopoda: Anostraca)
2012
BackgroundMediterranean temporary water bodies are important reservoirs of biodiversity and host a unique assemblage of diapausing aquatic invertebrates. These environments are currently vanishing because of increasing human pressure. Chirocephalus kerkyrensis is a fairy shrimp typical of temporary water bodies in Mediterranean plain forests and has undergone a substantial decline in number of populations in recent years due to habitat loss. We assessed patterns of genetic connectivity and phylogeographic history in the seven extant populations of the species from Albania, Corfu Is. (Greece), Southern and Central Italy.Methodology/principal findingsWe analyzed sequence variation at two mito…
Out of Asia: Mitochondrial DNA Evidence for an Oriental Origin of Tiger Frogs, Genus Hoplobatrachus
2001
Most examples of intercontinental dispersal events after the Miocene contact between Africa and Asia involve mammal lineages. Among amphibians, a number of probably related groups are known from both continents, but their phylogenies are so far largely unresolved. To test the hypothesis of Miocene dispersal against a Mesozoic vicariance scenario in the context of Gondwana fragmentation, we analyzed fragments of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (572 bp) in 40 specimens of 34 species of the anuran family Ranidae. Results corroborated the monophyly of tiger frogs (genus Hoplobatrachus), a genus with representatives in Africa and Asia. The African H. occipitalis was the sister group of the Asian…
Essential versus accessory aspects of cell death: recommendations of the NCCD 2015
2015
Cells exposed to extreme physicochemical or mechanical stimuli die in an uncontrollable manner, as a result of their immediate structural breakdown. Such an unavoidable variant of cellular demise is generally referred to as ?accidental cell death' (ACD). In most settings, however, cell death is initiated by a genetically encoded apparatus, correlating with the fact that its course can be altered by pharmacologic or genetic interventions. "Regulated cell death" (RCD) can occur as part of physiologic programs or can be activated once adaptive responses to perturbations of the extracellular or intracellular microenvironment fail. The biochemical phenomena that accompany RCD may be harnessed to…
Biocompatibility, hemocompatibility and antimicrobial properties of xyloglucan-based hydrogel film for wound healing application.
2018
Crosslinked xyloglucan-poly(vinyl alcohol) based hydrogel films are interesting materials for wound healing applications. This work focuses on the hydrolytic degradation and consequent morphological modification of a XG-PVA film and on its interaction with cells, blood, bacteria. Biocompatibility of the film was assessed in vitro by investigating different aspects, such as cell viability, oxidative stress level, mitochondrial dysfunction and specific stress biomarkers. Partial adhesiveness was demonstrated by performing different attaching assays and phalloidin staining. Hemocompatibility of XG-PVA film after interaction with blood was evaluated by using a multi-parametric approach, includi…
The Link between Oxidative Stress, Redox Status, Bioenergetics and Mitochondria in the Pathophysiology of ALS
2021
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common neurodegenerative disease of the motor system. It is characterized by the degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons, which leads to muscle weakness and paralysis. ALS is incurable and has a bleak prognosis, with median survival of 3–5 years after the initial symptomatology. In ALS, motor neurons gradually degenerate and die. Many features of mitochondrial dysfunction are manifested in neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS. Mitochondria have shown to be an early target in ALS pathophysiology and contribute to disease progression. Disruption of their axonal transport, excessive generation of reactive oxygen species, disruptio…