This book covers recent advances in the study of structure, function, and regulation of metabolite, protein and ion translocating channels, and transporters in mitochondria. A wide array of cutting-edge methods are covered, ranging from electrophysiology and cell biology to bioinformatics, as well as structural, systems, and computational biology. At last, the molecular identity of two important channels in the mitochondrial inner membrane, the mitochondrial calcium uniporter and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore have been established. After years of work on the physiology and structure of VDAC channels in the mitochondrial outer membrane, there have been multiple discoveries on VDAC permeation and regulation by cytosolic proteins. Recent breakthroughs in structural studies of the mitochondrial cholesterol translocator reveal a set of novel unexpected features and provide essential clues for defining therapeutic strategies. Molecular Basis for Mitochondrial Signaling covers these and many more recent studies of mitochondria function, their communication with other organelles, and their critical roles in development, aging, and in a plethora of stressful or degenerative events. Authored by leading researchers in the field, this volume will be an indispensable reference resource for graduate students and academics working in related areas of biophysics and cell biology as well as for professionals within industry.

Methods in Toxicology, Volume 2: Mitochondrial Dysfunction provides a source of methods, techniques, and experimental approaches for studying the role of abnormal mitochondrial function in cell injury. The book discusses the methods for the preparation and basic functional assessment of mitochondria from liver, kidney, muscle, and brain; the methods for assessing mitochondrial dysfunction in vivo and in intact organs; and the structural aspects of mitochondrial dysfunction are addressed. The text also describes chemical detoxification and metabolism as well as specific metabolic reactions that are especially important targets or indicators of damage. The methods for measurement of alterations in fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism and for the analysis and manipulation of oxidative injury and antioxidant systems are also considered. The book further tackles additional methods on mitochondrial energetics and transport processes; approaches for assessing impaired function of mitochondria; and genetic and developmental aspects of mitochondrial disease and toxicology. The text also looks into mitochondrial DNA synthesis, covalent binding to mitochondrial DNA, DNA repair, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the context of developing individuals and cellular differentiation. Microbiologists, toxicologists, biochemists, and molecular pharmacologists will find the book invaluable.

Sets the stage for the development of better diagnostic techniques and therapeutics Featuring contributions from an international team of leading clinicians and biomedical researchers, Molecular Basis of Oxidative Stress reviews the molecular and chemical bases of oxidative stress, describing how oxidative stress can lead to the development of cancer and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, it explains the potential role of free radicals in both the diagnosis and the development of therapeutics to treat disease. Molecular Basis of Oxidative Stress is logically organized, beginning with a comprehensive discussion of the fundamental chemistry of reactive species. Next, the book: Presents new mechanistic insights into how oxidative damage of biomolecules occurs Examines how these oxidative events effect cellular metabolism Investigates the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of cancer, neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular disease, and cystic fibrosis Explores opportunities to improve the diagnosis of disease and the design of new therapeutic agents Readers will find much novel information, including new radical chemistries and the latest discoveries of how free radicals react with biomolecules. The contributors also present recent findings that help us better understand the initiation of oxidative stress and the mechanisms leading to the pathogenesis of various diseases. Throughout the book, the use of molecular structures helps readers better understand redox chemistry. In addition, plenty of detailed figures illustrate the mechanisms of oxidative stress and disease pathogenesis. Examining everything from the basic chemistry of oxidative stress to the pathogenesis of disease, Molecular Basis of Oxidative Stress will help readers continue to explore the nature of oxidative stress and then use that knowledge to develop new approaches to prevent, detect, and treat a broad range of disease conditions.

This volume examines the role of mitochondria in different types of cell death, including apoptotic and necrotic cell deaths. Topics discussed include mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) and the permeability transition pore; core processes such as calcium handling, fission and fusion, reactive oxygen species generation, and maintenance of mitochondrial DNA fidelity and protein folding homeostasis; and retrograde signaling between mitochondria and other cellular components, including the important role of mitochondria in antiviral immunity. The expertly authored chapters are drawn from multidisciplinary international perspectives, lending a nuanced and comprehensive approach to the material. Mitochondria and Cell Death, part of the Cell Death in Biology and Diseases series, is invaluable reading for graduate students, researchers, and clinicians in the fields of neuroscience, oncology, gastroenterology, and hepatology, as well as those interested in the study of mitochondria and cell biology.

Nearly a century of scientific research has revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the most common and consistent phenotypes of cancer cells. A number of notable differences in the mitochondria of normal and cancer cells have been described. These include differences in mitochondrial metabolic activity, molecular composition of mitochondria and mtDNA sequence, as well as in alteration of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. This book, Mitochondria and Cancer, edited by Keshav K. Singh and Leslie C. Costello, presents thorough analyses of mitochondrial dysfunction as one of the hallmarks of cancer, discusses the clinical implications of mitochondrial defects in cancer, and as unique cellular targets for novel and selective anti-cancer therapy.