Lecture #4 Flashcards
what are MAMs?
mitochondrial-associated membranes; specifically for mito-ER contacts
describe the contact between two organelles:
strictly associated but never fused
what is the main player recognized in MAMs
mitofusion 2
where is mitofusion 2 located?
in the omm as well as in the ER membrane
where is mitofusion 1 located?
only in the omm
what is the function of mitofusion 2?
acts as a tether
what is FACL4?
a fatty acid-coA ligase4 - mediates the addition of acetyl-CoA to fatty acids
what is the role of MAMs in lipid biosynthesis?
essential in reaching the final lipid composition of organelles
what is the role of ACAT1 enzyme?
important for the esterification of fatty acids
what is the first step of steroidogenesis?
the presence of esterified cholesterols imported in the mitochondrial inner membrane where they are metabolized by cytochrome p450
what does the first step of steroidogenesis also serve as?
the rate limiting step for the process
what is the true specificity for calcium transfer given by?
the MCU
what is the most peculiar feature of the MCU?
it is a uniporter
where is the MCU located and what is its main characteristic?
the inner mitochondrial membrane - has a low affinity for calcium
where does the MCU open?
at the MAMs
why does the MCU open at MAMs?
in those sites calcium concentration is very high due to the influx of calcium from the ER to the mitochondria
why must the calcium levels in the mitochondria be balanced?
many TCA cycle enzymes are calcium-dependent and so the calcium entrance is needed to maximize the ATP production
describe the two types of permeability transition pores in the imm:
low conductance or high conductance
what happens in low conductance pores?
they can release precise amounts of calcium → flickering: small waves of calcium that are released to maintain the desired concentration
what happens in the high conductance pores?
triggered by mitochondrial calcium overload and is very dangerous → causes permeability transition in which it alters the permeability of the imm creating a bidirectional flux of solutes / ions / water eventually triggering apoptosis
what is the third role of the MAMs?
mid-zone fission
what are the two types of fission used by MAMs?
midzone fission (required for proliferation) and peripheral fission (required to remove damaged parts)
what was another connection between mitochondria discovered by scientist at UniSR?
contact between mitochondria and melanosomes → mediated by fibrillary bridged composed of mitofusin II - seems to be important for melanosome biogenesis
where are peroxisomes most commonly found?
found in all cell types but very abundant in this tissues involved in lipogenesis → particularly in the liver and kidneys
describe the composition of peroxisomes:
present a single membrane that is quite permeable, however there are specific transporters in the membrane for the import of fatty acids and other kinds of lipids, for the import of proteins and for the import of acetyl-CoA
what type of fatty acids do peroxisomes deal with?
VLCFA
what is synthesized in peroxisomes that is a key component of myelin sheaths of neurons?
plasmalogen
what clinical presentations do the mutation of Peroxisomes often cause?
strongly affected the CNS and PNS
in the mitochondria, what is the aim of beta oxidation?
to generate acetyl-CoA which enters the TCA cycle
in the peroxisomes there aren’t OSPHOS, so what happens to the high potential electrons generated during beta oxidation?
transferred to molecular oxygen in order to generate hydrogen peroxide
what is the beta oxidation of VLCFAs in peroxisomes closely coupled with?
tightly coupled to ROS production
what must we have inside of peroxisomes because of the way they deal with VLCFAs?
a lot of enzymes devoted to the detoxification of ROS → catalase (part of the crystalline core of oxidases)