Emerging concepts of mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease progression: Pathogenic and therapeutic implications

Publication date: Available online 22 October 2019Source: MitochondrionAuthor(s): Linchi Rani, Amal Chandra MondalAbstractMitochondria are very dynamic organelle which play a multifactorial role for a broad range of physiological processes inside the cell to maintain neural circuit integrity. They are required for the generation of cellular energy, regulation of calcium homeostasis and controlling programmed cell death. Defective mitochondrial homeostasis is frequently reported in a broad range of neurological disorders. Many lines of evidence suggest that it plays an essential role in aging, and neurodegeneration. Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder and its aetiology is still largely unexplored. Overwhelming evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in PD pathogenesis. Various genes involved in maintaining the mitochondrial homeostasis are also associated with the PD pathophysiology. Alterations in mitochondrial functions such as generation of reactive oxygen species, impaired mitophagy, altered mitochondrial dynamics, impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and Ca2+ buffering, may precede the development of PD pathology. In addition, recent studies have also shown the involvement of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases including PD. In this context, mitochondria-targeted therapies that can ameliorate the mitochondrial abnormalities may have great promise in the prevention...

Source: Mitochondrion - October 23, 2019 Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research