Effects of mitochondrial crowding on their activites

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440065
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biophysics
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ohta Yoshihiro 東京農工大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (10223843)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TAKAHASHI Takuya 立命館大学, 生命科学部, 教授 (70262102)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): UMEDA Norihiro 東京農工大学, 大学院工学研究院, 教授 (60111803)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ミトコンドリア / ATP合成 / 活性酸素種 / 密集

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Mitochondria are organelles that produce most of ATP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. Once ROS are excessively generated, they have a deleterious influence on intracellular components. In this study, we examined the effects of mitochondrial crowding on the generation of ATP and ROS by computer simulation and by measuring isolated mitochondria. When mitochondria exist in high density, mitochondria effectively generate electrochemical proton gradient across the inner membrane. As a result, the crowding of mitochondria leads to the efficient generation of ATP and the suppression of ROS.

Free Research Field

生物物理学