DAMAGE TO SPECIFIC MITOCHONDRIAL MEMBRANE PROTEINS DURING OXIDATIVE STRESS AND THE AGEING PROCESS [ 2000 - 2002 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: A/Pr Philip Burcham (Principal investigator)

Brief description During the ageing process and exposure to certain drugs or chemicals, oxygen radicals are produced within cells and tissues. If unchecked, these cause damage to a number of cell components, resulting in tissue death. One target for oxygen radicals are proteins in mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell that are responsible for meeting cell energy needs. It is well known that the ability of mitochondria to maintain energy supplies decreases in old age. Over the past decade, research has shown that this is partly due to mutation of genes in the DNA which is found in mitochondria. However it is also very likely that the loss of function in mitochondria during the ageing process is also due to the accumulation of protein damage. Recent work in insects has shown that specific proteins in mitochondria are extensively damaged during the ageing process and-or exposure to oxygen radicals. In higher organisms such as mice, however, exactly which mitochondrial proteins are targeted by oxygen radicals is unknown. This work will investigate the likelihood that proteins located in membranes of mitochondria are targets for damage by oxygen radicals and during the ageing process. Furthermore, since oxygen radicals readily attack polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes, we are investigating the likelihood that toxic substances (unsaturated aldehydes) formed during membrane damage contribute to the damage to mitochondrial proteins during the ageing process.

Funding Amount $AUD 195,982.97

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant