title: The mitochondrial genome in aging and senescence.
abstract: Aging is characterized by a progressive decline in organism functions due to the impairment of all organs. The deterioration of both proliferative tissues in liver, skin and the vascular system, as well as of largely post-mitotic organs, such as the heart and brain could be attributed at least in part to cell senescence. In this review we examine the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA mutations in cell aging and senescence. Specifically, we address how p53 and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) activity switch their roles from cytoprotective to detrimental and also examine the role of microRNAs in cell aging. The proposed role of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), both as mutating agents and as signalling molecules, underlying these processes is also described.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Biologia Vascolare e Medicina Rigenerativa, Centro Cardiologico Monzino (CCM), IRCCS, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.lauri@ccfm.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lauri
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Biologia Vascolare e Medicina Rigenerativa, Centro Cardiologico Monzino (CCM), IRCCS, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pompilio
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Patologia Vascolare, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata (IDI), IRCCS, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Capogrossi
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000235:genetics; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: Aging; Mitochondria; Molecular mechanisms; ROS; Senescence; mtDNA