Scientists identify gene regulating cells' power house
An international team of scientists has identified a gene which ensures our cells' power stations release the right amount of energy depending on our needs. The Swedish-American study, which was partly funded by the EU, is published in the journal Cell. Our cells produce energy in structures called mitochondria. Here, a chemical process called cellular respiration leads to the production of molecules of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the 'energy currency' of the cell. Our cells regulate the amount of energy produced to match our body's needs at a given moment. While the vast majority of DNA in our cells is found in the nucleus, a small amount, including many of the genes involved in cellular respiration, is found in the mitochondria. The large numbers of genes involved, plus the fact that they are located in two different cell structures, means that regulating the process is extremely complex. Defects in the process are involved in a range of diseases and conditions, including inherited mitochondrial diseases, common age-associated diseases and the aging process. In this latest study, scientists identified a gene called MTERF3 (mitochondrial transcription termination factor 3) which slows down energy production by interacting with the mitochondrial DNA and so preventing the genes from working. The scientists hope their findings will lead to the development of new ways of treating diseases such as diabetes, heart failure and Parkinson's. EU funding for the study came from the Sixth Framework Programme's EUmitocombat project, which is studying ways to develop strategies to combat diseases caused by a breakdown of the mitochondrial energy production system.
Countries
Sweden, United States