Work

Faculty Opinions recommendation of Evolution of the mitochondrial fusion-fission cycle and its role in aging.

Year: 2011

Type: peer-review

Abstract: Mitochondria are organelles of eukaryotic cells that contain their own genetic material and evolved from prokaryotic ancestors some 2 billion years ago. They are the main source of the cell's energy supply and are involved in such important processes as apoptosis, mitochondrial diseases, and aging. During recent years it also became apparent that mitochondria display a complex dynamical behavior of fission and fusion, the function of which is as yet unknown. In this paper we develop a concise theory that explains why fusion and fission have evolved, how these processes are related to the accumulation of mitochondrial mutants during aging, why the mitochondrial DNA has to be located close to the respiration complexes where most radicals are generated, and what selection pressures shaped the slightly different structure of animal and plant mitochondria. We believe that this "organelle control" theory will help in understanding key processes involved in the evolution of the mitochondrial genome and the aging process. PMID: 21646529

Source: Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature

DOI: 10.3410/f.11484959.12522054

Authors: Niyaz Ahmed, Pittu Sandhya Rani

Institutions: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, University of Hyderabad

Language: English

Topic: Mitochondrial Function and Pathology

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

OpenAlex ID: W4205091014

Cites: 51

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Related to: 10