Intercellular communication mediated by mitochondrial particle

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K19672
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General internal medicine and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: Ito Masafumi 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (80393114)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: Mitochondria particle / ミトコンドリアDNA変異 / プロファイリング / クロストーク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent reports suggest that mitochondrial particles (MPs) released from cells have biological functions, but their roles and characteristics in crosstalk between cells with and without mitochondrial dysfunction through MPs remain unknown. This study demonstrated that one of ADP/ATP translocators was increased in MPs released from cells with mitochondrial dysfunction compared with those from normal cells, whereas mitochondrial respiratory chain complex subunits were significantly decreased. Moreover, not only mtDNA but also nuclear DNA were detected in MPs from both type of cells. More importantly, the mitochondrial respiration-deficient cells and normal cells could incorporate MPs, but the majority of mitochondria contained in MPs were not functional. These results imply that mitochondrial DNAs and proteins contained in MPs may act as signaling molecules and play an important role in crosstalk between cells through MPs.

Free Research Field

分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年報告されたmitochondria particle (MP)は新しい概念であり、その特徴や働きの詳細は不明であった。本研究により、ミトコンドリア機能が低下した細胞のMPに含まれるタンパク質のプロファイルが明らかになり、この成果はMPを介した細胞間クロストークの分子機序の解明に寄与するものと考えられる。将来的には、加齢・老化、老化関連疾患におけるMPの意義が明らかになり、それらメカニズムの解明や新規治療法の開発に繋がることが期待される。