Fission and fusion of mitochondrial tubules are the major processes regulating mitochondrial morphology. However, the physiological significance of mitochondrial shape change is poorly understood. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in pancreatic β-cells requires mitochondrial ATP production which evokes Ca(2+) influx through plasma membrane depolarization, triggering insulin vesicle ex...

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cell. They produce a significant amount energy we need to grow, survive and reproduce. The same system that generates in form ATP also produces Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Mitochondrial (mtROS) were considered for many years toxic by-products metabolism, responsible ageing degenerative diseases. Today, know mtROS essential redox messengers required determi...

We show that the rate at which electrons pass through the respiratory chain in mitochondria and respiring prokaryotic cells is described by the product of three terms, one describing electron donation, one acceptance, and a third, the thermodynamic drive. We apply the theory of nonequilibrium thermodynamics in the context of the chemiosmotic model of proton translocation and energy conservation...

The ability of methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) and 4,4'-diacetyldiphenylurea-bis(guanylhydrazone) to interact with the hypoglycemic agent, phenethylbiguanide (DBI), in affecting the bioenergetic functions of isolated rat liver mitochondria was studied. DBI was found to increase markedly the inhibitory effect of either 4,4'-diacetyldiphenylurea-bis(guanylhydrazone) or MGBG on respirati...

Mitochondria sustain cellular life through energy production but also mediate programmed cell death. ATP production is mainly via cellular respiration, which is driven by the voltage gradient (ΔΨ m ) across the inner mitochondrial membrane that drives proton flux through the F 0 F 1 –ATP synthase. Extremely low resting inner mitochondrial membrane permeability is critical to maintain high ΔΨ m ...

XCT 790 is widely used to inhibit estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα) activity as an inverse agonist. Here, we report that XCT 790 potently activates AMP kinase (AMPK) in a dose-dependent and ERRα-independent manner, with active concentrations more than 25-fold below those typically used to perturb ERRα. AMPK activation is secondary to inhibition of energy production as XCT 790 rapidly depletes ...

BACKGROUND Mitochondria perform multiple roles in cell biology, acting as the site of aerobic energy-transducing pathways and as an important source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that modulate redox metabolism. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We demonstrate that a novel member of the mitochondrial transporter protein family, Anopheles gambiae mitochondrial carrier 1 (AgMC1), is required to ...

The physiological function of uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is as yet unknown. Based on its 57% homology to UCP1 whose physiologic function is uncoupling and thermogenesis, UCP3 was attributed with the function of mitochondrial uncoupling through proton-leak reactions. UCP3 is expressed selectively in muscle, a tissue in which it has been estimated that proton leak accounts for approx. 50% of res...

Mild uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, caused by a leak of protons back into the matrix, limits mitochondrial production of ROS (reactive oxygen species). This proton leak can be induced by the lipid peroxidation products of ROS, such as HNE (4-hydroxynonenal). HNE activates uncoupling proteins (UCP1, UCP2 and UCP3) and ANT (adenine nucleotide translocase), thereby providing a negative f...

The mitochondrial disease often associated with various illnesses in relation to the activity of cells metabolites and the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), including alteration in the mitochondrial DNA. The mutation of m.9053G>A at the ATP6 gene was found in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM type 2) and cataract. Therefore, this mutation is predicted to be clinical features o...