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Tag: mitochondria (Page 2 of 4)

Programa CICERONE 2023 para estudiantes de Grado y Máster

Como en años anteriores, nuestro grupo ofrece dos plazas para que estudiantes de Grado y Máster realicen prácticas en nuestro laboratorio entre el 1 de julio y el 15 de septiembre de 2023.

El propósito del programa CICERONE es acercar la investigación biomédica a los estudiantes universitarios para que puedan escoger más adecuadamente su orientación profesional.

Para inscribirse es necesario crear una cuenta en la web del CNIC antes del 28 de abril de 2023.

Enlace Tamaño
Bases de la convocatoria 2023 243 KB
Extracto del BOE 167 KB



Los dos proyectos científicos que ofrecemos este año son:

  • Stress in the brain, metabolic effects: Obesity has become a new pandemic. It is known that obesity induces molecular changes in the brain that are fundamental for the development of diseases and for maintaining excess energy intake. However, little is known about how these changes appear and the molecular mechanisms that mediate them. We will study how modulating stress in the central nervous system induced by high fat diet affects the development of cardiometabolic diseases. For this purpose, genetically modified animals will be used and whole organism metabolism will be evaluated, and how the signalling of this stress in the brain affects the response of distant organs through inter-tissue communication.
  • Role of adipose tissue controling whole body homeostasis: Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs)—e.g., diabetes, steatohepatitis, and cardiomyopathy— are the leading cause of death worldwide. Adipose tissue (AT) heterogeneity and dysfunction might be involved in the CMD pathogenesis. We have recently demonstrated that i) AT regulates whole-body metabolism independently of obesity and predisposes to hepatic cancer in mice and humans; and ii) molecules secreted by AT trigger liver steatosis and insulin resistance. Our studies suggest that dysfunctional AT communicates with other organs and induces pathogenic adaptive responses through evolutionarily conserved mechanisms (rodent to humans). Our preliminary results show that AT dysfunction caused by mitochondrial alteration induces cardiomyopathy in lean mice, reinforcing that AT has a central role in controlling heart functionality.

The outcome of boosting mitochondrial activity in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is organ-dependent

Naroa Goikoetxea-Usandizaga, Miren Bravo, Leire Egia-Mendikute, Leticia Abecia, Marina Serrano-Maciá, Rocío G Urdinguio, Marc Clos-García, Rubén Rodríguez-Agudo, Raquel Araujo-Legido, Lucía López-Bermudo, Teresa C Delgado, Sofía Lachiondo-Ortega, Irene González-Recio, Clàudia Gil-Pitarch, Ainize Peña-Cearra, Jorge Simón, Raquel Benedé-Ubieto, Silvia Ariño, Jose M Herranz, Mikel Azkargorta, Julio Salazar-Bermeo, Nuria Martí, Marta Varela-Rey, Juan M Falcón-Pérez, Óscar Lorenzo, Rubén Nogueiras, Félix Elortza Yulia A Nevzorova, Francisco J Cubero, Domingo Saura, Luis Alfonso Martínez-Cruz, Guadalupe Sabio, Asís Palazón, Pau Sancho-Bru, Natalia Elguezabal, Mario F Fraga, Matías A Ávila, Ramón Bataller, José J G Marín, Franz Martín & María Luz Martínez-Chantar.

Objective: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) accounts for 70% of liver-related deaths in Europe, with no effective approved therapies. Although mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the earliest manifestations of alcohol-induced injury, restoring mitochondrial activity remains a problematic strategy due to oxidative stress. Here, we identify methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ) as a mediator for ALD progression and hypothesize that targeting MCJ may help recovering mitochondrial fitness without collateral oxidative damage.

Design: C57BL/6 mice (Wild-type (Wt), Mcj knockout (MCJ-KO) and Mcj liver-specific silencing (MCJ-LSS) underwent the NIAAA dietary protocol (Lieber-DeCarli diet containing 5% (vol/vol) ethanol for 10 days, plus a single binge ethanol feeding at day 11). To evaluate the impact of a restored mitochondrial activity in ALD, liver, gut, and pancreas where characterized, focusing on lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis, intestinal permeability, and microbiota composition.

Results: MCJ, a protein acting as an endogenous negative regulator of mitochondrial respiration, is downregulated in the early stages of ALD and increases with the severity of the disease. Whole-body deficiency of MCJ is detrimental during ALD because it exacerbates the systemic effects of alcohol abuse through altered intestinal permeability, increased endotoxemia, and dysregulation of pancreatic function, which overall worsens liver injury. On the other hand, liver-specific Mcj silencing prevents main ALD hallmarks, i.e., mitochondrial dysfunction, steatosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, as it restores the NAD+/NADH ratio and SIRT1 function, hence preventing de novo lipogenesis and improving lipid oxidation.

Conclusion: Improving mitochondrial respiration by liver-specific Mcj silencing might become a novel therapeutic approach for treating ALD.

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