A cause of possible genetic problems in mitochondria is revealed
(University of Seville) The loss of mitochondrial information and of mitochondria gives rise to defective cell metabolism. As well as the lack of capacity to generate the energy necessary for the cells, the loss of mitochondrial information can generate an increase in oxygen free radicals that attack and damage the genetic material or produce Iron-Sulphur protein deficiencies. All this brings about incorrect cell functioning and eventually cell death. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - January 3, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Mitochondria Play an Unexpected Role in Killing Bacteria
The energy-producing organelles also send out parcels with antimicrobial compounds to help destroy pathogen invaders in macrophages. (Source: The Scientist)
Source: The Scientist - January 1, 2019 Category: Science Tags: The Literature Magazine Issue Source Type: news
Infographic: How Macrophage Mitochondria Help Destroy Pathogens
Researchers have uncovered a mechanism whereby macrophages employ their energy-generating organelles to aid in bacterial killing. (Source: The Scientist)
Source: The Scientist - January 1, 2019 Category: Science Tags: Infographics Magazine Issue Source Type: news
Mitochondria, metabolism and redox mechanisms in psychiatric disorders - Kim Y, Vadodaria KC, Lenkei Z, Kato T, Gage FH, Marchetto MC, Santos R.
Our current knowledge of the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms causing psychiatric disorders is modest, but genetic susceptibility and environmental factors are central to the etiology of these conditions. Autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - December 31, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Suicide and Self-Harm Source Type: news
Autophagy and mitochondria: Targets in neurodegenerative disorders
(Bentham Science Publishers) Cellular homeostasis depends on the timely clearance of damaged cellular organelles and proteins via pathways including autophagy. Mitochondria and mitochondrial autophagy play a vital role in cellular health and failure of these pathways can have a devastating effect on cellular homeostasis. Here, the researchers review the involvement of mitochondrial and autophagy dysfunction in neurodegenerative disorders specifically focusing on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - December 26, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Winter issue of The Endocrinologist now available online
The winter issue of the Society’s quarterly magazineThe Endocrinologist is now available online. This issue, with the theme,'Stress: from mitochondria to man' delves into all aspects of stress, the‘health epidemic of the 21st century’. Learn about stress from cell metabolism right up to the psychological effects in people. In Society News, find out all you ever wanted to know about your new Society General and Programme Secretaries in our interviews, get involved with our new‘Images by Endocrinologists’ section, a...
Source: Society for Endocrinology - December 14, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news
Restricting mitochondrial GRK2 post-ischemia confers cardioprotection by reducing myocyte death and maintaining glucose oxidation
Increased abundance of GRK2 [G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) kinase 2] is associated with poor cardiac function in heart failure patients. In animal models, GRK2 contributes to the pathogenesis of heart failure after ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. In addition to its role in down-regulating activated GPCRs, GRK2 also localizes to mitochondria both basally and post-IR injury, where it regulates cellular metabolism. We previously showed that phosphorylation of GRK2 at Ser670 is essential for the translocation of GRK2 to the mitochondria of cardiomyocytes post-IR injury in vitro and that this localization promotes c...
Source: Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment - December 11, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Sato, P. Y., Chuprun, J. K., Grisanti, L. A., Woodall, M. C., Brown, B. R., Roy, R., Traynham, C. J., Ibetti, J., Lucchese, A. M., Yuan, A., Drosatos, K., Tilley, D. G., Gao, E., Koch, W. J. Tags: STKE Research Articles Source Type: news
news analysis: Genetically Modified People Are Walking Among Us
And, so far, they ’ re just fine. America needs a sober debate about the pros and cons of Crispr instead of a paranoid ban on the technology. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - December 1, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: CARL ZIMMER Tags: Genetic Engineering Politics and Government Crispr (DNA) Mitochondria Food and Drug Administration He Jiankui Source Type: news
Formyl-methionine as an N-degron of a eukaryotic N-end rule pathway
In bacteria, nascent proteins bear the pretranslationally generated N-terminal (Nt) formyl-methionine (fMet) residue. Nt-fMet of bacterial proteins is a degradation signal, termed fMet/N-degron. By contrast, proteins synthesized by cytosolic ribosomes of eukaryotes were presumed to bear unformylated Nt-Met. Here we found that the yeast formyltransferase Fmt1, although imported into mitochondria, could also produce Nt-formylated proteins in the cytosol. Nt-formylated proteins were strongly up-regulated in stationary phase or upon starvation for specific amino acids. This up-regulation strictly required the Gcn2 kinase, whic...
Source: ScienceNOW - November 29, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Kim, J.-M., Seok, O.-H., Ju, S., Heo, J.-E., Yeom, J., Kim, D.-S., Yoo, J.-Y., Varshavsky, A., Lee, C., Hwang, C.-S. Tags: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news
Six UCLA professors named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Six faculty members from UCLA have been selected as 2018 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They are to be honored by the association for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.New fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin, representing science and engineering, on Feb. 16, at the association ’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Fellows will be formally announced in the “AAAS News and Notes” section of the journal Science on Nov. 29.UCLA ’s newest AAAS fellows are:Heather Maynard, is...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - November 27, 2018 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news
{beta}-Barrel outer membrane proteins suppress mTORC2 activation and induce autophagic responses
The outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria and mitochondria contain proteins with a distinct β-barrel tertiary structure that could function as a molecular pattern recognized by the innate immune system. Here, we report that purified outer membrane proteins (OMPs) from different bacterial and mitochondrial sources triggered the induction of autophagy-related endosomal acidification, LC3B lipidation, and p62 degradation. Furthermore, OMPs reduced the phosphorylation and therefore activation of the multiprotein complex mTORC2 and its substrate Akt in macrophages and epithelial cells. The cell surface receptor SlamF8 ...
Source: Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment - November 27, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Chaudhary, A., Kamischke, C., Leite, M., Altura, M. A., Kinman, L., Kulasekara, H., Blanc, M.-P., Wang, G., Terhorst, C., Miller, S. I. Tags: STKE Research Articles Source Type: news
Fish can detox too -- but not so well, when it comes to mercury
(McGill University) By examining the tissues at a subcellular level, the researchers discovered yelloweye rockfish were able to immobilize several potentially toxic elements within their liver tissues (cadmium, lead, and arsenic) thus preventing them from interacting with sensitive parts of the cell. But mercury was found in concentrations known to be toxic - and most of it was in sensitive sites, such as mitochondria and enzymes, within liver cells. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - November 20, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Channels for the supply of energy
(University of Freiburg) Freiburg scientists elucidate the mechanism for the transport of water-insoluble protein molecules in mitochondria (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - November 16, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Breaking mitochondria and hearts
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - November 15, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Wong, W. Tags: twis Source Type: news
SFXN1 is a mitochondrial serine transporter required for one-carbon metabolism
One-carbon metabolism generates the one-carbon units required to synthesize many critical metabolites, including nucleotides. The pathway has cytosolic and mitochondrial branches, and a key step is the entry, through an unknown mechanism, of serine into mitochondria, where it is converted into glycine and formate. In a CRISPR-based genetic screen in human cells for genes of the mitochondrial pathway, we found sideroflexin 1 (SFXN1), a multipass inner mitochondrial membrane protein of unclear function. Like cells missing mitochondrial components of one-carbon metabolism, those null for SFXN1 are defective in glycine and pur...
Source: ScienceNOW - November 15, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Kory, N., Wyant, G. A., Prakash, G., uit de Bos, J., Bottanelli, F., Pacold, M. E., Chan, S. H., Lewis, C. A., Wang, T., Keys, H. R., Guo, Y. E., Sabatini, D. M. Tags: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news
