Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026
13:42
Multi-parameter Measurement of the Permeability Transition Pore Opening in Isolated Mouse Heart Mitochondria
Published on: September 7, 2012
22.1K
Estrogen receptor beta modulates permeability transition in brain mitochondria
Suzanne R Burstein1, Hyun Jeong Kim2, Jasmine A Fels1
1Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Bioenergetics
|March 19, 2018
Summary
Female mice exhibit lower calcium thresholds for mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening, a key event in brain injury. Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) plays a crucial role in this sex difference, impacting neuroprotection.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Sex and hormonal status influence cellular responses to ischemic brain injury.
- Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPT) opening is a critical pathological event in ischemic brain injury.
- Sex differences in brain MPT modulation remain unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in brain MPT modulation.
- To explore the role of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in MPT regulation.
- To identify mechanisms underlying ERβ-mediated MPT modulation.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of mitochondria from male and female mouse forebrain.
- Measurement of calcium threshold for MPT.
- Pharmacological inhibition and genetic knockout of ERβ.
- Co-immunoprecipitation studies to identify ERβ binding partners.
- Functional assays in primary neurons and hippocampal slice cultures.
Main Results:
- Female mouse brain mitochondria exhibit a lower calcium threshold for MPT than male mitochondria.
- This sex difference is dependent on cyclophilin D (CypD).
- ERβ antagonism inhibits MPT; ERβ knockout alters sensitivity to cyclosporine A.
- ERβ modulates MPT by regulating the interaction between CypD and the mitochondrial ATPase subunit OSCP.
- ERβ modulation confers protection against glutamate toxicity and oxygen glucose deprivation.
Conclusions:
- A novel pathway for brain MPT regulation by ERβ is revealed.
- ERβ plays a significant role in sex differences observed in ischemic brain injury.
- Targeting ERβ may offer therapeutic strategies for neuroprotection.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Peroxisomes and Mitochondria
97.8K
Peroxisomes and mitochondria are two important oxygen-utilizing organelles in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria carry out cellular respiration—the process that converts energy from food into ATP. Peroxisomes carry out a variety of functions, primarily breaking down different substances, such as fatty acids.
The peroxisome is a single membrane-bound cellular organelle that can perform several different functions, including lipid metabolism and chemical detoxification. The enzymes within...
The peroxisome is a single membrane-bound cellular organelle that can perform several different functions, including lipid metabolism and chemical detoxification. The enzymes within...
97.8K
01:58Cooperative Allosteric Transitions
8.9K
Cooperative allosteric transitions can occur in multimeric proteins, where each subunit of the protein has its own ligand-binding site. When a ligand binds to any of these subunits, it triggers a conformational change that affects the binding sites in the other subunits; this can change the affinity of the other sites for their respective ligands. The ability of the protein to change the shape of its binding site is attributed to the presence of a mix of flexible and stable segments in the...
8.9K
02:31Phase Transitions
23.3K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
23.3K
02:58Properties of Transition Metals
30.1K
Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.
30.1K
01:37Mitochondria
20.6K
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
20.6K
01:31Internal Receptors
74.7K
Many cellular signals are hydrophilic and therefore cannot pass through the plasma membrane. However, small or hydrophobic signaling molecules can cross the hydrophobic core of the plasma membrane and bind to internal, or intracellular, receptors that reside within the cell. Many mammalian steroid hormones use this mechanism of cell signaling, as does nitric oxide (NO) gas.
74.7K