Beyond mitochondria: Alternative energy-producing pathways from all strata of life
Mitochondrial substrate level phosphorylation via succinate-CoA ligase enables survival despite a defective electron transport chain.
This brilliant study by Christopher Auger et. al reviews alternative energy-producing pathways from all strata of life.
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell for they produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy currency. However, intricacy and efficiency, the most significant strengths of the electron transport chain (ETC), are also its greatest downfalls.
A reliance on metal complexes, lipid moities, and cofactors renders oxidative phosphorylation vulnerable to environmental toxins, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and fluctuations in diet. Thus, it is of interest to note that temporal disruptions in ETC activity in most organisms are rarely fatal, and often a redundant number of failsafes are in place to permit continued ATP production when needed.
This review highlights the metabolic reconfigurations discovered in organisms ranging from parasitic Entamoeba to bacteria such as pseudomonads and then complex eukaryotic systems that allow these species to adapt to and occasionally thrive in harsh environments.
The aim of this review is to demonstrate the plasticity of metabolic networks and recognize that in times of duress, life finds a way.
The author of this paper, Dr. Marc G. Jeschke, will join us during the 13th World Congress in October to present all his recent results concerning mitochondrial function and associate metabolic changes in a model of severe trauma
Read more about this article: 10.1016/j.metabol.2021.154733
Targeting Mitochondria 2022 Congress
October 26-28, 2022 - Berlin, Germany
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