1,721,033 research outputs found

    Mitochondrial pathology: stress signals from the energy factory

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    Mitochondria are undergoing a renaissance. The cellular power plant is now recognized as a key cellular signaling platform. The signals released by mitochondria are currently an area of intense research. A complex network is emerging involving metabolic intermediates, the roles of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response, and the interaction of mitochondria with other organelles and with the cellular autophagic system. Despite the diversity of the perturbations leading to mitochondrial diseases, some emerging trends are apparent. The long-held notion that mitochondrial diseases result from decreased mitochondrial energy output has been challenged by new data showing that mitochondrial pathological signaling can cause disease irrespective of the energy output. This review proposes a novel integrative view of mitochondrial signaling in physiology and disease

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Mitochondria–Lysosome Crosstalk: From Physiology to Neurodegeneration

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    Cellular function requires coordination between different organelles and metabolic cues. Mitochondria and lysosomes are essential for cellular metabolism as major contributors of chemical energy and building blocks. It is therefore pivotal for cellular function to coordinate the metabolic roles of mitochondria and lysosomes. However, these organelles do more than metabolism, given their function as fundamental signaling platforms in the cell that regulate many key processes such as autophagy, proliferation, and cell death. Mechanisms of crosstalk between mitochondria and lysosomes are discussed, both under physiological conditions and in diseases that affect these organelles

    Mechanisms of communication between mitochondria and lysosomes

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    Mitochondria and lysosomes have long been studied in the context of their classic functions: energy factory and recycle bin, respectively. In the last twenty years, it became evident that these organelles are much more than simple industrial units, and are indeed in charge of many of cellular processes. Both mitochondria and lysosomes are now recognized as far-reaching signaling platforms, regulating many key aspects of cell and tissue physiology. It has furthermore become clear that mitochondria and lysosomes impact each other. The mechanisms underlying the cross-talk between these organelles are only now starting to be addressed. In this review, we briefly summarize how mitochondria, lysosomes and the lysosome-related process of autophagy affect each other in physiology and pathology. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

    Modulation of cellular redox environment as a novel therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's Disease

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    Parkinson's Disease (PD) is an incurable neurodegenerative movement disorder. PD affects 2% of the population above 65 years old; however, with the growing number of senior citizens, PD prevalence is predicted to increase in the following years. Pathologically, PD is characterized by dopaminergic cell neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra, resulting in decreased dopamine levels in the nigrostriatal pathway, triggering motor symptoms. Although the pathological mechanisms leading to PD are still unclear, large evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays an important role, not only because it increases with age which is the most significant risk factor for PD development, but also as a result of alterations in several processes, particularly mitochondria dysfunction. The modulation of oxidative stress, especially by using dietary mitochondriotropic antioxidants, represents a promising approach to prevent or treat PD. Although most mitochondria-targeted antioxidants with beneficial effects in PD-associated models have failed to show any therapeutic benefit in clinical trials, several questions remain to be clarified. Hereby, we review the role played by oxidative stress in PD pathogenesis, emphasizing mitochondria as reactive oxygen species (ROS) producers and as targets for oxidative stress-related dysfunctional mechanisms. In addition, we also describe the importance of using dietary-based mitochondria-targeted antioxidants as a valuable strategy to counteract the deleterious effects of ROS in pre-clinical and/or clinical trials of PD, pointing out their significance to slow, and possibly halt, the progression of PD

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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