학술논문

A mutation in a mitochondrial dehydrogenase/reductase gene causes an increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and mitochondrial defects in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
Document Type
Article
Source
Genes to Cells. Oct2011, Vol. 16 Issue 10, p1022-1034. 13p.
Subject
*MITOCHONDRIAL pathology
*OXIDATIVE stress
*CAENORHABDITIS elegans
*DEHYDROGENASES
*GENETIC mutation
*ULTRAVIOLET radiation
*APOPTOSIS
*REACTIVE oxygen species
Language
ISSN
1356-9597
Abstract
rad-8 is an interesting mutant that shows increased sensitivities to UV radiation and reactive oxygen species in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In this study, we have characterized rad-8 and have found that rad-8 showed several phenotypes of mitochondrial dysfunction such as a decreased activity of the respiratory chain, increased generation of superoxide anions, increased oxidative damage, increased apoptosis, and abnormal mitochondrial structure. Our genetic analysis has also indicated that rad-8 has a causative mutation in the F56H1.6 gene, which encodes a mitochondrial dehydrogenase/reductase. The functional role of RAD-8 may be evolutionarily conserved because expression of the putative human homologue RTN4IP/NIMP in rad-8 rescued the increased sensitivity to oxygen in rad-8. These results suggest that RAD-8 plays an important role in oxygen metabolism in mitochondria in higher eukaryotes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]