Project 5. Mitochondrial Respiration, Oxidative Damage, & Aging

Project 5 examines yeast mitochondrial respiratory functions, bioenergetics, and damage in order to test whether respiratory control determines generation of reactive oxygen species and yeast longevity, and could be attenuated by transgenic expression of alternative oxidase or uncoupling protein, in yeast or in metazoan species. We will determine metabolic profiles under conditions extending or shortening chronological life span, and will further explore mutation levels of mitochondrial DNA as a measure of accrued mitochondrial damage and as a potential mode of intervention.

We are using yeast as a model system for assessing interventions that will modify the metabolic production of reactive oxygen species. We find that these interventions do have effects on longevity of yeast in culture, and have begun transferring this genetic/metabolic engineering to our metazoan models, C. elegans and Drosophila.

Joan E. McEwen, Ph.D., Project Leader

Magomed Khaidakov, M.D., Ph.D.

Joseph Hof, B.A.

Ania M. Galuszka, B.Sc.

Clayton Johnson, M.Sc.