AIM To investigate the protective mechanism of mitofusin-2 (Mfn2) in rat remote ischemic perconditioning (RIC) models and revalidate it in alpha mouse liver-12 (AML-12) hypoxia cell lines. METHODS Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups (n = 6 each): sham, orthotopic liver transplantation and RIC. After operation, blood samples were collected to test alanine aminotransferase and as...

A reverse genetics approach was utilized to discover new proteins that interact with the mitochondrial fusion mediator mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) and that may participate in mitochondrial fusion. In particular, in vivo formaldehyde cross-linking of whole HeLa cells and immunoprecipitation with purified Mfn2 antibodies of SDS cell lysates were used to detect an approximately 42-kDa protein. This protein...

Mitochondria are abundant in fully grown mammalian oocytes with a unique spherical morphology, but the mechanisms controlling mitochondria behavior are not well understood. Here we describe for the first time the control of mitochondrial behavior in mouse oocytes by a fusion/fission mechanism. Mitofusins (Mfn1 and Mfn2) and OPA1 proteins are required for outer and inner mitochondrial membrane f...

Introduction Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a metabolic disease that endangers pregnant women and their offspring. Insights into biomarkers GDM pathogenesis are crucial. Ectopic expression of microRNA-17-5p was found in GDM, but its the diagnostic value role miR-17-5p remain unclear. Material methods Detection miRNA microarray quantitative PCR (qPCR) significantly increased positively a...

BACKGROUND Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of inherited axonal neuropathies. The aim of this study was to extensively investigate the mutational spectrum of CMT2 in a cohort of patients of Han Chinese. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Genomic DNA from 36 unrelated Taiwanese CMT2 patients of Han Chinese descent was screened for mu...

Rationale: Mitochondria constitute 30% of myocardial mass. Mitochondrial fusion and fission appear essential for health of most tissues. Mitochondrial fission occurs in neonatal cardiomycyte and is implicated in cardiomyocyte death. Mitochondrial fusion has not been observed in postmitotic myocytes of adult hearts, and its occurrence and function in this context are controversial. Objective: De...

With diabetes, skeletal muscle mitochondrial quality control (mitochondrial fusion, fission & macro-autophagy) is impaired. Geranylgeraniol (GG) shown to have a protective effect on preventing damage and health; however, the of GG diabetic model not known. PURPOSE: To determine cross-sectional area (CSA) in rats. METHODS: Thirty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three diet groups: (CON...

The effects of mitofusin 2 (MFN2) deficiency, on mitochondrial morphology and the mitochondria-junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (jSR) complex in the adult heart, have been previously investigated using 2D electron microscopy, an approach which is unable to provide a 3D spatial assessment of these imaging parameters. Here, we use 3D electron tomography to show that MFN2-deficient mitochondria a...