title: Mitochondrial ROS and involvement of Bcl-2 as a mitochondrial ROS regulator.
abstract: Mitochondria are the major intracellular source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). While excessive mitochondrial ROS (mitoROS) production induces cell injury and death, there is accumulating evidence that non-toxic low levels of mitoROS could serve as important signaling molecules. Therefore, maintenance of mitoROS at physiological levels is crucial for cell homeostasis as well as for survival and proliferation. This review describes the various mechanisms that keep mitoROS in check, with particular focus on the role of the onco-protein Bcl-2 in redox regulation. In addition to its canonical anti-apoptotic activity, Bcl-2 has been implicated in mitoROS regulation by its effect on mitochondrial complex IV activity, facilitating the mitochondrial incorporation of GSH and interaction with the small GTPase-Rac1 at the mitochondria. We also discuss some of the plausible mechanism(s) which allows Bcl-2 to sense and respond to the fluctuations in mitoROS.
authors: Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, Clinical Research Center, #04-25, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors: Stephen Jun Fei
authors: SJ
authors: Chong
authors: Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, Clinical Research Center, #04-25, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors: Ivan Cherh Chiet
authors: IC
authors: Low
authors: Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, Clinical Research Center, #04-25, Singapore 117597, Singapore; NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences (CeLS), #05-01, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117576, Singapore; Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore; Singapore-MIT Alliance, Singapore; National University Cancer Institute, Singapore. Electronic address: Shazib_Pervaiz@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors: Shazib
authors: S
authors: Pervaiz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
keywords: Bcl-2; Mitochondria; Phosphorylation; ROS; Superoxide; mitoROS