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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
An In Vitro Approach to Study Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Cybrid Model
Published on: March 9, 2022
Generation and characterization of cells that can be conditionally depleted of mitochondrial SOD2
Shunya Takada1, Eri Inoue, Keizo Tano
1Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-3, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
Abstract:
Manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase (SOD2) serves as the primary defense against mitochondrial superoxide, and decreased SOD2 activity results in a range of pathologies. To investigate the events occurring soon after depletion of SOD2, we generated SOD2 gene knockout chicken DT40 cells complemented with a human SOD2 (hSOD2) cDNA, whose expression can be switched off by doxycycline (Dox). When SOD2 was depleted by the addition of Dox, the cells grew slightly slower and formed fewer colonies than cells expressing hSOD2. In addition, these cells showed a high sensitivity to paraquat, which produces superoxide, and died through apoptosis. In contrast to results obtained with mouse and DrosophilaSod2 mutants, we found no indication of an increase in DNA lesions due to depletion of SOD2.
