Cell complexity: mechanism of mitochondrial repair (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, April 03, 2020, 00:40 (1483 days ago) @ David Turell

Found but not fully understood:

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-renew-powerhouses-cells-workshop-mode.html

"If the energy supply of a cell is disturbed by damage, it can protect itself from functional losses and repair itself in a kind of workshop mode.

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"The tasks of mitochondria include very basic processes such as the constant energy supply of the cell. The power machinery in mitochondria consists of five components, the so-called complexes I-V. In them, the food we eat is ultimately converted into energy for the cell. If the cellular energy supply is no longer guaranteed due to disturbances in signalling processes, this has serious consequences for the entire organism,

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"'In our most recent work, we have discovered a rescue route that enables cells to repair damage of a particularly sensitive part of complex I," said Trifunovic. "Repairing something is a far more energy-efficient self-help mechanism compared to the effort that would be required to completely destroy and rebuild this entire complex." (my bold)

"The specific rescue route Trifunovic identified also acts as a safety valve for the cell. If the rescue route becomes active, the dysfunctional component quickly switches to a shutdown mode and 'goes to the workshop.' This way, the cells prevent harmful reactive oxygen species from being produced and released in the powerhouse engine. Trifunovic remarked: "So far, very little is known about how this machinery is maintained and regulated. Our results shed light on this process and allow us to explore further therapeutic possibilities."

"In addition to the general novelty of the entire mechanism, she was particularly surprised to see that it is often better for the organism to keep some powerhouse machine components running despite damage, and not to put all damaged components into 'workshop mode' at the same time or to dismantle them completely. It is possible that functions of individual components, which go beyond energy supply, also play a role."

Comment: Note my bold. Quick repair by a backup system is obviously needed and reeks of planned design, never a chance natural event.