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Mitochondrial ATP synthase deficiencies of a nuclear genetic origin
Karbanová, Vendula ; Houštěk, Josef (advisor) ; Kalous, Martin (referee) ; Rossmeisl, Martin (referee)
ATP synthase represents the key enzyme of cellular energy provision and ATP synthase disorders belong to the most deleterious mitochondrial diseases affecting pediatric population. The aim of this thesis was to identify nuclear genetic defects and describe the pathogenic mechanism of altered biosynthesis of ATP synthase that leads to isolated deficiency of this enzyme manifesting as an early onset mitochondrial encephalo-cardiomyopathy. Studies in the group of 25 patients enabled identification of two new disease-causing nuclear genes responsible for ATP synthase deficiency. The first affected gene was TMEM70 that encodes an unknown mitochondrial protein. This protein was identified as a novel assembly factor of ATP synthase, first one specific for higher eukaryotes. TMEM70 protein of 21 kDa is located in mitochondrial inner membrane and it is absent in patient tissues. TMEM70 mutation was found in 23 patients and turned to be the most frequent cause of ATP synthase deficiency. Cell culture studies also revealed that enzyme defect leads to compensatory-adaptive upregulation of respiratory chain complexes III and IV due to posttranscriptional events. The second affected gene was ATP5E that encodes small structural epsilon subunit of ATP synthase. Replacement of conserved Tyr12 with Cys caused...
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The role of mitochondria in adaptation to chronic hypoxia in the spontaneously hypertensive and conplastic rats.
Weissová, Romana ; Kalous, Martin (advisor) ; Rauchová, Hana (referee)
Adaptation to chronic hypoxia provides cardioprotective effects. Molecular mechanism of this phenomenon is not yet completely understood, but it is known that cardiac mitochondria play an essential role in induction of protective effects. The purpose of this diploma thesis is to study effects of continuous normobaric hypoxia (CNH; 10 % O2, 21 days) on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and conplastic strain that is derived from SHR. These animals have nuclear genome of SHR strain and mitochondrial genome of Brown Norway (BN) strain. Cardiac homogenate was used to measure enzymatic activity of malate dehydrogenase (MDH), citrate synthase (CS), NADH-cytochrome c oxidoreductase, succinate-cytochrome c oxidoreductase and cytochrome oxidase (COX). Using Western blot procedure the protein amount of antioxidant enzymes was measured - manganese superoxide dismutase and copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (MnSOD, Cu/ZnSOD), catalase and chosen subunits of oxidative phosphorylation complexes (Ndufa9, Sdha, Uqcrc2, COX-4, MTCO1, Atp5a1). Under normoxic conditions the conplastic strain has lower amount of complex IV subunit MTCO1 in comparison with SHR. This subunit is encoded by mitochondrial DNA and it is one of the seven protein-coding genes in conplastic strain that differ from SHR. Adaptation to hypoxia causes an...
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Effects of antidepressants and depressive disorders on mitochondrial functions
Hroudová, Jana ; Fišar, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Martásek, Pavel (referee) ; Kuča, Kamil (referee)
Mood disorders are serious diseases. Nevertheless, their pathophysiology is not sufficiently clarified. Biological markers that would facilitate the diagnosis or successful prediction of pharmacotherapy are still being sought. The aim of the study was to find out whether mitochondrial functions are affected by antidepressants, mood stabilizers and depression. Our research is based on recent hypotheses of mood disorders, the advanced monoamine hypothesis, the neurotrophic hypothesis, and the mitochondrial dysfunction hypothesis. We assume that impaired function of mitochondria leads to neuronal damage and can be related to the origin of mood disorders. Effects of antidepressants and mood stabilizers on mitochondrial functions can be related to their therapeutic or side effects. In vitro effects of pharmacologically different antidepressants and mood stabilizers on the activities of mitochondrial enzymes were measured in mitochondria isolated from pig brains (in vitro model). Activity of monoamine oxidase (MAO) isoforms was determined radiochemically, activities of other mitochondrial enzymes were measured spectrophotometrically. Overall activity of the system of oxidative phosphorylation was measured electrochemically using high- resolution respirometry. Methods were modified to measure the same...
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FoF1-ATP synthase/ATPase in the parasitic protist, \kur{Trypanosoma brucei}
ŠUBRTOVÁ, Karolína
This thesis primarily focuses on the FoF1-ATP synthase/ATPase complex in the parasitic protist, Trypanosoma brucei. Instead of its normal aerobic function to synthesize ATP, it is required to hydrolyze ATP to maintain the m in the infective bloodstream stage of T. brucei and the related parasite, T. b. evansi. To better understand the composition, structure and function of this druggable target, my work focused on deciphering the function of three of the unique Euglenozoa specific subunits that comprise this complex molecular machine. Furthermore, the ADP/ATP carrier, which provides substrates for the FoF1-ATP synthase/ATPase, was functionally characterized and evaluated if it is physically associated with the complexes of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway.
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