The cells' petrol pump is finally identified

Researchers from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, describe how mitochondria, the cell's power plants, are supplied with fuel

2012-05-28

(Press-News.org) Our cells breathe and digest, as does the organism as a whole. They indeed use oxygen to draw the energy contained in the nutrients they ingest, before discarding the waste, as carbon dioxide and water. Glucose is a preferred nutrient for the cells. Its digestion occurs in the cytoplasm, in the absence of oxygen, and leads to the formation of pyruvate and a small amount of energy. Pyruvate is then carried into mitochondria, the cell's power plants, for a complete burning, thus providing a maximal energetic yield. A mediocre energetic yield in tumor cells 'As opposed to healthy cells, tumor cells produce the energy they need mainly in the cytoplasm. For reasons that are still misunderstood, they have little use for their mitochondria', notes Jean-Claude Martinou, professor at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. However, cancer cells don't seem to lack energy. They compensate the low energetic yield by an increased consumption of glucose. This strategy allows them to do without oxygen, to a large extent. By short-cutting the mitochondria, these cells would thus escape from the deleterious effects of toxic molecules, such as free radicals, produced during the cellular respiration, within the power plants. How can the fuel pipeline be redirected to its normal pathway? 'Biologists have been attempting for more than thirty years to understand how pyruvate is transferred from the cytoplasm to the interior of the mitochondrion. We finally identified the carrier, which was named Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier, abbreviated MPC», details Sébastien Herzig, researcher at the Department of cell biology of the University of Geneva and first author of the article. MCP is a universal carrier, which is almost identical from yeast to human. 'From now on, we will be able to study how the cells can modulate the activity of this carrier, according to their needs in energy', explains Jean-Claude Martinou. The next challenge will be to find a way to force the mitochondria of tumor cells to function normally, by stimulating pyruvate transport towards the interior of these power plants.

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CWRU class earns Science magazine prize for innovation

2012-05-28

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First direct observation of oriented attachment in nanocrystal growth

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Nanoparticles seen as artificial atoms

2012-05-28

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Knowing genetic makeup may not significantly improve disease risk prediction

2012-05-28

Boston, MA —Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers have found that detailed knowledge about your genetic makeup—the interplay between genetic variants and other genetic variants, or between genetic variants and environmental risk factors—may only change your estimated disease prediction risk for three common diseases by a few percentage points, which is typically not enough to make a difference in prevention or treatment plans. It is the first study to revisit claims in previous research that including such information in risk models would eventually help doctors ...

Pivotal role for proteins -- from helping turn carbs into energy to causing devastating disease

2012-05-28

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Discarded data may hold the key to a sharper view of molecules

2012-05-28

CORVALLIS, Ore. — There's nothing like a new pair of eyeglasses to bring fine details into sharp relief. For scientists who study the large molecules of life from proteins to DNA, the equivalent of new lenses have come in the form of an advanced method for analyzing data from X-ray crystallography experiments. The findings, just published in the journal Science, could lead to new understanding of the molecules that drive processes in biology, medical diagnostics, nanotechnology and other fields. Like dentists who use X-rays to find tooth decay, scientists use X-rays ...

No new neurons in the human olfactory bulb

2012-05-28

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Gene discovery points towards new type of male contraceptive

2012-05-28

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Drug allergy discovery

2012-05-28

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Beetle-infested pine trees contribute to air pollution and haze in forests

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The cells' petrol pump is finally identified

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