Thursday, January 31, 2013

Selective Mitochondrial Autophagy, or Mitophagy, as a Targeted Defense Against Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Aging

Interestingness: 6

By Dr. John J. Lemasters. Rejuvenation Research. Spring 2005, 8(1): 3-5. doi:10.1089/rej.2005.8.3.

Short speculative piece about the importance of a mitochondrial outer membrane protein, Uth1p, in aging. Yeast cells with mutant versions of the gene have lower levels of mitochondrial autophagy when induced by rapamycin and starvation. If this means that the particular mitochondria that don't express Uth1p are not recycled, then it would give an "evolutionary" advantage for mitochondria to have mutant versions of this gene, as long as they are picked as often as others for mitochondrial replication. If this is the case, then other mutations in the same mitochondrion as ones with Uth1p mutations would proliferate throughout the cell.

As a downer, it seems there isn't (wasn't?) much information about the human analogue/s of the gene.

Issue 1, 2005

By the abstracts:

"Selective Mitochondrial Autophagy, or Mitophagy, as a Targeted Defense Against Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Aging". Piece reviewing the autophagy of mitochondria, and that it seems to be targeted, and maybe important. Has over 100 citations. Might have to find it.

"Mitochondrial DNA Gene Therapy: A Gene Therapy for Aging?". Talks about the possible importance of mtDNA problems and probably of the mtDNA to nDNA therapy paper in this issue.

"Novel Routes for Metabolism of 7-Ketocholesterol". About a possible new breakdown path for 7-ketocholesterol. 7-ketocholesterol is one of the substance in atherosclerotic plaques.

"Reactive Oxygen Species Production in the Mitochondrial Matrix: Implications for the Mechanism of Mitochondrial Mutation Accumulation". Theorising about implications of newly discovered ways in which mtDNA mutations can trigger increases in reactive oxygen species. Interesting.

"Stable Transformation of CHO Cells and Human NARP Cybrids Confers Oligomycin Resistance (olir) Following Transfer of a Mitochondrial DNA–Encoded olir ATPase6 Gene to the Nuclear Genome: A Model System for mtDNA Gene Therapy". They grabbed a gene that gave chinese hamster cells resistance to oligomycin (some antibiotic) that sat in their mtDNA, changed it so that it would work if inserted into nuclear DNA, and tested it by inserting it into normal chinese hamster cells and dipping them in oligomycin. de Grey thinks this is the most important paper yet published in Rejuvenation Research, so I'll have to read it.

"Thermodynamics and Information in Aging: Why Aging Is Not a Mystery and How We Will Be Able to Make Rational Interventions". Theoretical paper deriving aging from thermodynamics. Sometimes I like these papers, sometimes they are terrible. I'll have to have a glance.

"Genetically Modified Hairy Roots of Withania somnifera Dunal: A Potent Source of Rejuvenating Principles". I don't have much idea of what this one is about. I found the abstract very confusing. Something about enhancing the antioxidant effects of Withania somnifera, maybe.

"Gerontomodulatory and Youth-Preserving Effects of Zeatin on Human Skin Fibroblasts Undergoing Aging In Vitro". Another one which I didn't understand very well. Something about zeatin, a plant growth factor, keeping fibroblasts young-looking, but without increasing proliferative capacity.