MITOCHONDRIAL DNA IN AGING AND CANCER

INTRODUCTION: Mitochondria have well-recognized roles both in the generation of cellular energy and as mediators of cellular events such as apoptosis. The mitochondria often are called the "powerhouse" of the cell because they produce about 90 percent of the body's energy. Mitochondria are ubiquitous organelles in eukaryotic cells whose primary role is to generate energy supplies in the form of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. Mitochondria are dynamic intracellular organelles that play a central role in oxidative metabolism and apoptosis. Somatic mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are common in many human cancers. The decrease in mitochondrial energy metabolism might lead to development of cancer. Cancer cells constitutively upregulate glucose metabolism, even in the presence of abundant oxygen, and synthesize ATP mainly through 'aerobic glycolysis', a metabolic state that is linked to high glucose uptake and lactate production. Cancer originated from a non-neoplastic cell that adopted anaerobic metabolism as a means of survival after injury to its respiratory system, which led to the notion that tumors were initiated by persistent damage to the mitochondria, proposed by Warburg were cancer cells with high in fermentation and low in respiration. Mutations of mitochondrial mtDNA play a role in neurodegeneration, normal aging, premature aging of the skin (photoaging), and tumors). There is a large body of evidence indicating that mitochondrial function decreases when mutations of mtDNA increases and a vicious cycle has been hypothesized in which oxidative stress induces mutations of mtDNA leading to a defective respiratory chain, in turn leading to reduced energy production. As the mitochondria contain multiple copies of the mtDNA and cells may contain thousands of mitochondria, newly acquired somatic mutations are heteroplasmic in nature.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the role of mtDNA in human aging and cancer. To know the role of mtDNA in apoptosis process. To find out the cause and effect of cancer and aging to human. To know if the deletion or duplication process have a big part on cancer and aging. To find out if it is heritable. To find out the occurrence of genetic mutation and in what way it can influence human being.

TOPICS:

1. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l. 2. a. b. c. d. e.

Causes of aging and cancer Clonal mutations Deletion process Diet Environment Genetic heterogeneity Genome instability Heredity Intensive radiation exposure Mitochondrial mutation Random mutation Somatic mutations Weak immune system Effect of aging and cancer Cellular damage Growth of abnormal cells Breakdown of tissues Loss of function of parts of the body Early death