title: Impaired quality control of mitochondria: aging from a new perspective.
abstract: Mitochondria fulfill a number of essential cellular functions and play a key role in the aging process. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are predominantly generated in this organelle but next to inducing oxidative damage they act as signaling molecules. Autophagy is regulated by signaling ROS and is known to affect aging as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Many cellular components that influence autophagy are linked to longevity such as members of the sirtuin protein family. Recent studies further link mitochondrial dynamics to the removal of dysfunctional mitochondria by mitophagy, thereby representing a novel mechanism for the quality control of mitochondria. Here we summarize the current views on how mitochondrial function is linked to aging and we propose that quality control of mitochondria has a crucial role in counteracting the aging process.
authors.affiliation: CEF Makromolekulare Komplexe, Mitochondriale Biologie, Fachbereich Medizin, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Andreas S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Reichert
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D037761:Sirtuins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D007328:Insulin; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D037761:Sirtuins