Dr Koopman will present his researchs about live-cell quantification of mitochondrial readouts
Dr Werner Koopman, from Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands will give a strategic presentation about life cell quantification of mitochondrial readouts.
His research aims to quantitatively understand the molecular connection between mitochondrial metabolism and (ultra)structure with particular attention to redox signaling and biomolecule diffusion. To this end, they study primary cells from mitochondrial disease patients, inhibitor-treated cells, a knockout mouse model of mitochondrial complex I (CI) deficiency and cancer cell lines to gain insight into the (tissue-specific) consequences and/or adaptation programs triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction. Given the tight integration of mitochondrial and cellular metabolism, the above aims are primarily addressed in living cell systems.
As a key technology, protein-based and chemical fluorescent reporter molecules are introduced in the cells and their signals are quantified using life cell microscopy, image processing/quantification and data mining. Protein diffusion is studied by combining photobleaching strategies, single-molecule spectroscopy and in silico techniques. In primary fibroblasts from Leigh Syndrome (LS) patients, isolated CI deficiency is associated with mitochondrial morpho-functional changes and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels.
Empirical evidence suggests these aberrations might constitute linked therapeutic targets for small chemical molecules. However, the latter generally induce multiple subtle effects, meaning that in vitro potency analysis or single-parameter high-throughput cell screening are of limited use to identify these molecules.
If you are interested to know more about the results of this study, don't hesitate to join Targeting Mitochondria World Congress 2015.
For more information: www.targeting-mitochondria.com
