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Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway: Effects of Calcium on Murine Cytochrome C Release in Brain and Liver Mitochondria
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Edwards, Dane M. |
| Copyright Year | 2013 |
| Abstract | A cell may use one of three main apoptotic pathways leading to programmed cell death: the extrinsic pathway, the perforin/granzyme pathway and the intrinsic pathway. The most pertinent to this discussion is the intrinsic pathway, which utilizes the mitochondria as an essential intermediary. Mitochondria's primary function in relation to this pathway is the subsequent release of pro-apoptotic factors including cytochrome c, which activate a caspase cascade leading to the death of the cell. Cytochrome c is released partly due to an increase in cytosolic calcium levels. Two methods of the release of cytochrome c have been proposed. The first is through permeability transition pores (PTP) in the inner mitochondrial membrane, which result in the rupturing of the mitochondria and the subsequent release of inner membrane space proteins. The second method is through mitochondrial apoptosis-induced channels (MAC) in the outer membrane, which maintains the integrity of the mitochondria. Murine brain and liver mitochondria were incubated with various concentrations of calcium and a subsequent western blot for cytochrome c was performed. It appears that an increase in calcium concentration induces a higher level of cytochrome c release in liver mitochondria providing stronger evidence for the MAC pathway. Brain mitochondria did not express a calcium dosage response providing evidence for the PTP pathway. INTRINSIC APOPTOTIC PATHWAY 5 Introduction “It is normal to give away a little of one's life In order to not lose it all” —Albert Camus (1913-1960) Self-preservation is a notion that has been ingrained into the genetic makeup of all living things. From single-celled bacterial cells forced to adapt to new environments and stresses to carnivorous animals fighting over a final scrap of food, the fight for survival is an extending natural tendency. However, along with that comes the notion for selfpreservation; the sacrifice of part of one's self is inevitable. The human body, as well as all other multi-cellular organisms, undergoes this process every day. There are over 100 trillion cells comprising the human body. It has been estimated that due to the high rate of cellular apoptosis that the human body will replace every cell within a seven year time span. This is a vitally important process to defend again viruses and antigens, eliminate DNA damage and maintain effective cellular signaling. For this to occur efficiently the body requires an extensive process to regulate the health of each cell and effectively cause cells to kill themselves when replacements are necessary; this process is known as apoptosis. The emphasis of this research paper will focus on an independent study taking an in-depth investigation into one of the steps involved in the apoptotic pathway. However, before this research can be discussed, a thorough knowledge of the steps involved in apoptosis must be established. INTRINSIC APOPTOTIC PATHWAY 6 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1377&context=honors&httpsredir=1&referer= |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
