Open AccessNutrient availability links mitochondria, apoptosis, and obesity
Author(s) -
Francesca Pintus,
Giovanni Floris,
Alessandro Rufini
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
aging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 90
ISSN - 1945-4589
DOI - 10.18632/aging.100505
Subject(s) - apoptosis , mitochondrion , microbiology and biotechnology , oxidative phosphorylation , nutrient , nutrient sensing , biology , programmed cell death , phosphorylation , biochemistry , signal transduction , ecology
Mitochondria are the dominant source of the cellular energy requirements through oxidative phosphorylation, but they are also central players in apoptosis. Nutrient availability may have been the main evolutionary driving force behind these opposite mitochondrial functions: production of energy to sustain life and release of apoptotic proteins to trigger cell death. Here, we explore the link between nutrients, mitochondria and apoptosis with known and potential implications for age-related decline and metabolic syndromes.