Thumbnail Image

Theses

Browse

20191
Reset filters
Subject: Agricultural Biotechnology × Author: GADI SRI HARSHA VARDHAN × End date: 2019 × Start date: 2019 ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    STUDY OF MITOCHONDRIAL MORPHOLOGY AND MEMBRANE POTENTIAL DURING ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN DYSFUNCTION IN THE MODEL ORGANISM C. elegans
    (AAU, Jorhat, 2019-07) GADI SRI HARSHA VARDHAN; Baruah, Aiswarya
    Mitochondria are highly dynamic, double membrane-bound cell organelles ubiquitously found in most eukaryotic cells. The major source of cellular energy in the form of ATP is generated through oxidative phosphorylation through Electron Transport Chain (ETC) of innermitochondrial membrane. Mutations in ETC complex proteins and mitochondrial toxicants will lead to ETC dysfunction which results in the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Mitochondria undergo coordinated cycles of fission, fusion, biogenesis, and degradation (mitophagy) and these process are linked with ΔΨm. Disruption of ETC is directly associated with many mitochondrial, metabolic, neuronal diseases and also with aging. So, it is important to understand the mitochondria morphological adaptations in maintaining cellular function and cellular homeostasis. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, we studied the effect of ETC dysfunction on mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential. We analyzed the pattern of change in mitochondrial shape, distribution along with ΔΨm during ETC dysfunction caused by mutations in mitochondrial proteins and paraquat (produce superoxide) induced oxidative stress. The C. elegans mitochondrial mutant strain isp-1(qm150) with a defective complex- III (Reiske iron-sulfur protein) is used to study mutation induced ETC dysfunction. A consistent significant difference in mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential between ETC mutant isp-1(qm150), paraquat treated and control (wild type) has been observed using confocal microscopy. We observed consistent decrease of mitochondrial quantity, ΔΨm and increase in circularity of mitochondria in worms treated with different concentrations of paraquat compared to control. Even though we didn’t found significant difference of mitochondria morphological between wild type and isp-1(qm150) but there is a notable difference in ΔΨm, indicating decreasing in the rate of respiration. As mitochondrial function is conserved from worm to human and plants, understanding these basic process will helps in future intervention of diseases to improve human health and also crop productivity.