Abstract
It has long been accepted that mitochondrial function and morphology is affected in Parkinson’s disease, and that mitochondrial function can be directly related to its morphology. So far, mitochondrial morphological alterations studies, in the context of this neurodegenerative disease, have been performed through microscopic methodologies. The goal of the present work is to address if the modifications in the mitochondrial-shaping proteins occurring in this disorder have implications in other cellular pathways, which might constitute important pathways for the disease progression. To do so, we conducted a novel approach through a thorough exploration of the available proteomics-based studies in the context of Parkinson’s disease. The analysis provided insight into the altered biological pathways affected by changes in the expression of mitochondrial-shaping proteins via different bioinformatic tools. Unexpectedly, we observed that the mitochondrial-shaping proteins altered in the context of Parkinson’s disease are, in the vast majority, related to the organization of the mitochondrial cristae. Conversely, in the studies that have resorted to microscopy-based techniques, the most widely reported alteration in the context of this disorder is mitochondria fragmentation. Cristae membrane organization is pivotal for mitochondrial ATP production, and changes in their morphology have a direct impact on the organization and function of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes. To understand which biological processes are affected by the alteration of these proteins we analyzed the binding partners of the mitochondrial-shaping proteins that were found altered in Parkinson’s disease. We showed that the binding partners fall into seven different cellular components, which include mitochondria, proteasome, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), amongst others. It is noteworthy that, by evaluating the biological process in which these modified proteins are involved, we showed that they are related to the production and metabolism of ATP, immune response, cytoskeleton alteration, and oxidative stress, amongst others. In summary, with our bioinformatics approach using the data on the modified proteins in Parkinson’s disease patients, we were able to relate the alteration of mitochondrial-shaping proteins to modifications of crucial cellular pathways affected in this disease.
Highlights
Mitochondria are pivotal organelles for several cellular functions, namely, the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation, the regulation of the Krebs cycle, fatty acid metabolism, gluconeogenesis, heme-synthesis, calcium and redox homeostasis, cell signaling, and the amplification of apoptosis [1]
Mitochondria dynamic processes are of utmost importance for the mitochondrial growth rate, their redistribution within the cell, and for the maintenance of healthy mitochondria and proper functioning their alterations are frequently associated with different pathological conditions [4]
Alterations of the mitochondrial shape have been related to their functional state [11] and, in the past few years, an increasing shape have been related to their functional state [11] and, in the past few years, an increasing number of reports have shown alterations of mitochondrial morphology in the context of Parkinson’s number of reports have shown alterations of mitochondrial morphology in the context of disease
Summary
Mitochondria are pivotal organelles for several cellular functions, namely, the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation, the regulation of the Krebs cycle, fatty acid metabolism, gluconeogenesis, heme-synthesis, calcium and redox homeostasis, cell signaling, and the amplification of apoptosis [1]. They are highly dynamic organelles, as they can change their shape in response to cellular stimuli by fusion and fission processes and by their movement along the cellular cytoskeleton [2]. Its etiology is not fully unraveled; evidences point to the importance of mitochondria in its pathobiology
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