• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.189-193
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• 2021

Jak-STAT pathway is required for embryogenesis, female gametogenesis, cytokine-mediated neuroprotection, diabetes, obesity, cancer, stem cell, and various tissues. The noncanonical role of Jak-STAT in mitochondria function was supported by the detection of STAT protein in mitochondria, however, several studies show that STAT protein is detected in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and not in mitochondria. STAT protein may alter mitochondria function without entering mitochondria, this involves regulation of fission and fusion proteins to change mitochondria morphology. However, how changes in mitochondria morphology lead to changes in mitochondria metabolism needs further investigation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.355-361
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• 2009

Mitochondria play a key role in maintaining life by producing ATP and heat. Recent researches have demonstrated that degenerative diseases such as heart failure, obesity/diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and psychiatric diseases are accompanied by mitochondria dysfunction. In this sense, mitochondria medicine considers the significance of mitochondria in human pathology and tries to explain degenerative diseases as a fatal consequence of mitochondria dysfunction. Here, I introduce the fundamentals of mitochondria physiology and present examples showing the relationship between mitochondria dysfunction and chronic complex diseases. Although mitochondria medicine uses a molecular biological approach predominantly, a biomedical engineering approach might play a critical role in unveiling the complexity of mitochondria medicine and in its application to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases. Thus, I also briefly review the prospects of research using biomedical engineering methods.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2008

Cytochrome-c-oxidase in mitochondria membrane is one of the most important factors for energy generation in the cell. As well as it is electron transfer enzyme, it is also heavily related to the apoptosis and other pathologic conditions. Meanwhile, porin is a protein located in inner and outer membranes of mitochondria, which is assumed to be functionally correlated with cytochrome-c-oxidase. It functions as forming electron transfer chain and conveying ATP. Therefore, using the immune-microscopy, It compared the distribution of cytochrome-c-oxidase and porin to figure out the formation and changes on cytochrome-c-oxidase in mitochondrial cristae. The sarcroplasm of cardic muscle tissue has many mitochondria. They are classified into two groups: the mitochondria with many cytochrome-c-oxidase and the mitochondria with only porins. The mitochondria with porins had few cytochrome-c-oxidases in their membrane; in contrast, the other mitochondria with rich cytochrome-c-oxidase had few porins in their walls. In addition, according to the location of the tissue in bovine heart, distribution of those kind of mitochondria had been clearly separated. As a result, it could be assumed that immature mitochondria has many porins to transfer the protein materials from sarcroplasm through the porins, and they made cytochrome-c-oxidase until it is enough, and then they decreased the porin and maintained minimum number of the porin.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2008

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a cellular self-destruction mechanism that is essential for a variety of biological events, such as developmental sculpturing, tissue homeostasis, and the removal of unwanted cells. Mitochondria play a crucial role in regulating cell death. $Ca^{2+}$ has long been recognized as a participant in apoptotic pathways. Mitochondria are known to modulate and synchronize $Ca^{2+}$ signaling. Massive accumulation of $Ca^{2+}$ in the mitochondria leads to apoptosis. The $Ca^{2+}$ dynamics of ER and mitochondria appear to be modulated by the Bcl-2 family proteins, key factors involved in apoptosis. The number and morphology of mitochondria are precisely controlled through mitochondrial fusion and fission process by numerous mitochondria-shaping proteins. Mitochondrial fission accompanies apoptotic cell death and appears to be important for progression of the apoptotic pathway. Here, we highlight and discuss the role of mitochondrial calcium handling and mitochondrial fusion and fission machinery in apoptosis.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.467-473
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• 2017

Ascidian embryos have become an important model for embryological studies, offering a simple example for mechanisms of cytoplasmic components segregation. It is a well-known example that the asymmetric segregation of mitochondria into muscle lineage cells occurs during ascidian embryogenesis. However, it is still unclear which signaling pathway is involved in this process. To obtain molecular markers for studying mechanisms involved in the asymmetric distribution of mitochondria, we have produced monoclonal antibodies, Mito-1, Mito-2 and Mito-3, that specifically recognize mitochondria-rich cytoplasm in cells of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi embryos. These antibodies stained cytoplasm like reticular structure in epidermis cells, except for nuclei, at the early tailbud stage. Similar pattern was observed in vital staining of mitochondria with DiOC2, a fluorescent probe of mitochondria. Immunostaining with these antibodies showed that mitochondria are evenly distributed in the animal hemisphere blastomeres at cleavage stages, whereas not in the vegetal hemisphere blastomeres. Mitochondria were transferred to the presumptive muscle and nerve cord lineage cells of the marginal zone in the vegetal hemisphere more than to the presumptive mesenchyme, notochord and endoderm lineage of the central zone. Therefore, it is suggested that these antibodies will be useful markers for studying mechanisms involved in the polarized distribution of mitochondria during ascidian embryogenesis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.221-234
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• 2014

Mitochondria dysfunction was first described in the 1960s. However, the extent and mechanisms of mitochondria dysfunction's role in cellular physiology and pathology has only recently begun to be appreciated. To adequately evaluate mitochondria-mediated toxicity, it is not only necessary to understand mitochondria biology, but discerning mitochondrial redox biology is also essential. The latter is intricately tied to mitochondrial bioenergetics. Mitochondrial free radicals, antioxidants, and antioxidant enzymes are players in mitochondrial redox biology. This review will provide an across-the-board, albeit not in-depth, overview of mitochondria biology and mitochondrial redox biology. With accumulating knowledge on mitochondria biology and mitochondrial redox biology, we may devise experimental methods with adequate sensitivity and specificity to evaluate mitochondrial toxicity, especially in vivo in living organisms, in the near future.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.180-184
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• 2014

Mitochondria play a crucial role in many essential biological events by way of the electron transport chains and intermembrane proteins that they contain. Abnormalities in the mitochondria are strongly correlated with the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and diabetes. However, the study of mitochondria has been referred to as 'labor-intensive' because of the difficulty in isolating the organelles from their various sources, which can include cultured cells and tissues. Multiple companies provide mitochondria isolation kits, and it is possible for investigators to use different kits and apply different protocols depending on the source of the mitochondria. Therefore, we focused on producing an isolation buffer that could be applied to both cultured cells and tissues, and optimized an isolation protocol that could be used with both. Specifically, we adjusted the buffer condition that can be applied to human cervical cancer cells, fibroblasts, and tissues such as mouse liver and spleen. We also optimized the protocol to improve the efficacy and efficiency of the steps involved in the isolation of mitochondria. These methodological improvements may contribute to advanced research by allowing investigators to overcome the difficulties involved in isolation of mitochondria from biological samples.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2009

In this study, the effects of iron on cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) in rat lung mitochondria were examined. Similar to liver mitochondria, iron accumulated considerably in lung mitochondria (more than 2-fold). Likewise, the reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide (NO) content of mitochondria were increased by more than 50% and 100%, respectively. NO might be produced by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), eNOS and iNOS type, with particular contribution by NOS in mitochondria. The respiratory control ratio of iron overloaded lung mitochondria dropped to nearly 50% due to increased state 4. Likewise, cytochrome c oxidase activity was lowered significantly to approximately 50% due to excess iron. Real-time PCR revealed that the expression of isoforms 1 and 2 of subunit IV of CeO was enhanced greatly under excess iron conditions. Taken together, these results show that oxidative phosphorylation within lung mitochondria may be influenced by iron overload through changes in cytochrome c oxidase and NO.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.235-245
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• 2010

Mitochondria have long been recognized as ATP engines for the cell and recently as a dynamic and mobile organelles that control cell death and life. This exquisite organelle is the site of reactive oxygen species production and is highly vulnerable to exogenous stresses, resulting in catastrophic damage to the cell. Mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to a wide range of age-associated degenerative diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of mitochondria-dependent pathogenesis may provide important strategies to treat these diseases. Indeed, mitochondria are emerging therapeutic targets for the mitochondria-related diseases. In this paper, we review the recent concepts of mitochondrial biology and how mitochondria are involved in age-associated degenerative diseases. Furthermore, we summarize the therapeutics which target to improve mitochondrial functions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.23-30
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• 2008

Mitochondria biogenesis requires a coordination of two genomes, nuclear DNA (nDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Disruption of mitochondria function leads to a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP generating capacity and consequently results in chronic degenerative diseases including insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and neurodegenerative diseases. Although PPAR-${\gamma}$ coactivator-$1{\alpha}$ (PGC-$1{\alpha}$) was discovered as a central regulator of mitochondria biogenesis and a transcriptional co-activator of nuclear respiratory factor (NRF) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam), the expressions of PGC-$1{\alpha}$, NRF and Tfam were not significantly altered in tissues showing abnormal mitochondria functions. This observation suggests that there should be another regulator(s) for mitochondria function. Here, we demonstrate microRNAs (miRNAs) can modulate mitochondria function. Overexpression of microRNA dissipated mitochondrial membrane potential and increased ROS production in vitro and in vivo. It will be discussed the target of microRNA and its role in metabolic syndrome.