DDAH2 suppresses RLR-MAVS-mediated innate antiviral immunity by stimulating nitric oxide-activated, Drp1-induced mitochondrial fission
The RIG-I–like receptor (RLR) signaling pathway is pivotal for innate immunity against invading viruses, and dysregulation of this molecular cascade has been linked to various diseases. Here, we identified dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 (DDAH2) as a potent regulator of the RLR-mediated antiviral response in human and mouse. Overexpression of DDAH2 attenuated RLR signaling, whereas loss of DDAH2 function enhanced RLR signaling and suppressed viral replication ex vivo and in mice. Upon viral infection, DDAH2 relocated to mitochondria, where it induced the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the activation of...
Source: Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment - April 13, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Huang, S., Li, Z., Wu, Z., Liu, C., Yu, M., Wen, M., Zhang, L., Wang, X. Tags: STKE Research Articles Source Type: news

$10.8 million NIH grant to establish metabolic research center
(University of Arkansas) A $10.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will enable an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Arkansas and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to address the role of cell and tissue metabolism in rare and common diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity and mitochondrial disorders. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 6, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

WAVE2 suppresses mTOR activation to maintain T cell homeostasis and prevent autoimmunity
Cytoskeletal regulatory protein dysfunction has been etiologically linked to inherited diseases associated with immunodeficiency and autoimmunity, but the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. Here, we show that conditional Wave2 ablation in T cells causes severe autoimmunity associated with increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation and metabolic reprogramming that engender spontaneous activation and accelerated differentiation of peripheral T cells. These mice also manifest diminished antigen-specific T cell responses associated with increased inhibitory receptor expression, dysregulated mitocho...
Source: ScienceNOW - March 25, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Liu, M., Zhang, J., Pinder, B. D., Liu, Q., Wang, D., Yao, H., Gao, Y., Toker, A., Gao, J., Peterson, A., Qu, J., Siminovitch, K. A. Tags: Cell Biology, Immunology, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news

< a href= " /news-events/nih-research-matters/mitochondrial-dna-involved-sickle-cell-disease " > Mitochondrial DNA involved in sickle cell disease < /a >
People with sickle cell disease have high levels of mitochondrial DNA in their blood, which may help trigger damaging inflammation. (Source: NIH Research Matters from the National Institutes of Health (NIH))
Source: NIH Research Matters from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - March 16, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Eight ways chemical pollutants harm the body
(Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) A new review of existing evidence proposes eight hallmarks of environmental exposures that chart the biological pathways through which pollutants contribute to disease: oxidative stress and inflammation, genomic alterations and mutations, epigenetic alterations, mitochondrial dysfunction, endocrine disruption, altered intercellular communication, altered microbiome communities, and impaired nervous system function. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - March 5, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Researchers find effective combination of therapies for managing mitochondrial disease
(Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) Researchers have demonstrated how one combination of therapies may be beneficial for patients with mitochondrial respiratory chain disorders. This preclinical research paves the way to develop more tailored treatment options for patients with inherited mitochondrial disease and acquired energy disorders. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - March 2, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Advanced imaging technology captures translation of the maternal genome
(University of Helsinki) An international collaboration among researchers from Finland, Sweden, UK and the USA has captured ribosomes translating messenger RNA expressed from the maternally inherited mitochondrial genome. Utilising the latest advances in cryo-electron microscopy, the group discovered a novel mechanism that mitochondrial ribosomes use for the synthesis and delivery of newly made proteins to prevent premature misfolding. Disruptions to protein folding can lead to devastating human diseases. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - February 22, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news

New research on mitochondrial function can play significant part in serious disease
(Karolinska Institutet) Disorders of the cells' energy supply can cause a number of serious diseases, but also seem to be connected to ageing. More research is needed on mitochondrial function to find future treatments. A new study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet shows how an important molecule inside the mitochondria affects their function in mice and fruit flies. The study, which is published in Science Advances, adds valuable knowledge on formerly relatively unexplored protein modifications. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - February 19, 2021 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news

Zinc may help with fertility during COVID-19 pandemic, researchers report
(Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research) Wayne State University School of Medicine researchers have reported that zinc supplements for men and women attempting to conceive either naturally or through assisted reproduction during the COVID-19 pandemic may prevent mitochondrial damage in young egg and sperm cells. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - February 4, 2021 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

Inhibition of prostaglandin-degrading enzyme 15-PGDH rejuvenates aged muscle mass and strength
Treatments are lacking for sarcopenia, a debilitating age-related skeletal muscle wasting syndrome. We identifed increased amounts of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)–degrading enzyme, as a hallmark of aged tissues, including skeletal muscle. The consequent reduction in PGE2 signaling contributed to muscle atrophy in aged mice and results from 15-PGDH–expressing myofibers and interstitial cells, such as macrophages, within muscle. Overexpression of 15-PGDH in young muscles induced atrophy. Inhibition of 15-PGDH, by targeted genetic depletion or a small-molecule inhibi...
Source: ScienceNOW - January 28, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Palla, A. R., Ravichandran, M., Wang, Y. X., Alexandrova, L., Yang, A. V., Kraft, P., Holbrook, C. A., Schürch, C. M., Ho, A. T. V., Blau, H. M. Tags: Cell Biology, Medicine, Diseases, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news

Mitochondrial mutation increases the risk of diabetes in Japanese men
(University of Southern California) A new study of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Japanese populations has uncovered a previously uncharacterized genetic variant that puts male carriers at greater risk for the disease, as well as the mechanism by which it does so. The impact of the variant was most pronounced in sedentary men; those with the variant had a 65% greater rate of T2D than sedentary men without it. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - January 21, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news

Rapid blood test identifies COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe disease
(Washington University School of Medicine) Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that a relatively simple and rapid blood test can predict which patients with COVID-19 are at highest risk of severe complications or death. The blood test measures levels of mitochondrial DNA, which normally resides inside the energy factories of cells. Mitochondrial DNA spilling out of cells and into the bloodstream is a sign that a particular type of violent cell death is taking place in the body. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - January 15, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

New findings help explain how COVID-19 overpowers the immune system
(University of Southern California) Seeking to understand why COVID-19 is able to suppress the body's immune response, new research from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests that mitochondria are one of the first lines of defense against COVID-19 and identifies key differences in how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, interacts with mitochondrial genes when compared to other viruses. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - January 8, 2021 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

Mitochondrial DNA alterations underlie an irreversible shift to aerobic glycolysis in fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cancer
Understanding the mechanisms of the Warburg shift to aerobic glycolysis is critical to defining the metabolic basis of cancer. Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) is an aggressive cancer characterized by biallelic inactivation of the gene encoding the Krebs cycle enzyme fumarate hydratase, an early shift to aerobic glycolysis, and rapid metastasis. We observed impairment of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in tumors from patients with HLRCC. Biochemical and transcriptomic analyses revealed that respiratory chain dysfunction in the tumors was due to loss of expression of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)&n...
Source: Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment - January 5, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Crooks, D. R., Maio, N., Lang, M., Ricketts, C. J., Vocke, C. D., Gurram, S., Turan, S., Kim, Y.-Y., Cawthon, G. M., Sohelian, F., De Val, N., Pfeiffer, R. M., Jailwala, P., Tandon, M., Tran, B., Fan, T. W.- M., Lane, A. N., Ried, T., Wangsa, D., Malayeri Tags: STKE Research Articles Source Type: news

Gene Therapy Shows No Long-Term Harm in Animals: Study
FRIDAY, Dec. 11, 2020 -- Results from a long-term study of a gene therapy technique to prevent inherited mitochondrial disease show promise, researchers say. Studies of the technique at Oregon Health& Science University in Portland show no... (Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews)
Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews - December 11, 2020 Category: General Medicine Source Type: news