Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

New data on biochemical mechanism of programmed senescence of organisms and antioxidant defense of mitochondria

  • News in Biochemistry
  • Published:
Biochemistry (Moscow) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Much evidence has recently been reported suggesting that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in mitochondria play a crucial role in the programmed senescence of organisms. In particular, it has been shown that antioxidants addressed to mitochondria slow down the appearance of symptoms of senescence and development of senile diseases and increase the median lifespan of various organisms from fungi to mammals. At the biochemical level, the mechanism of action of such rechargeable antioxidants as plastoquinonyldecyltriphenyl phosphonium (SkQ1) includes, in particular, prevention of oxidation of mitochondrial cardiolipin by ROS. The hormone melatonin also exhibits a number of such effects, and decrease in its level with age could explain the weakening of antioxidant protection upon aging. According to Moosmann et al., there exists a natural mechanism of antioxidant protection that, like SkQ1, is localized in the internal mitochondrial membrane and is rechargeable. It involves methionine residues in the surface regions of proteins encoded by mitochondrial DNA. It appears that in organisms with high respiratory metabolism the genetic code in the mitochondrial system of protein biosynthesis has changed. In these organisms (including some yeasts, insects, crustaceans, and vertebrates), the AUA codon codes for methionine rather than isoleucine, as in the case of synthesis of proteins encoded either in the nucleus or in mitochondria of organisms with lower rates of metabolism (other yeast species, sponges, and echinoderms). Methionine quenches ROS, being converted to methionine sulfoxide, which is re-reduced to the initial methionine by NADPH.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Skulachev, V. P. (2007) Biochemistry (Moscow), 72, 1385–1396.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Antonenko, Yu. N., Avetisyan, A. V., Bakeeva, L. E., Chernyak, B. V., Chertkov, V. A., Domnina, L. V., Ivanova, O. Yu., Izyumov, D. S., Khailova, L. S., Klishin, S. S., Korshunova, G. A., Lyamzaev, K. G., Muntyan, M. S., Nepryakhina, O. K., Pashkovskaya, A. A., Pletyushkina, O. Yu., Pustovidko, A. V., Roginsky, V. A., Rokitskaya, T. I., Ruuge, E. K., Saprunova, V. B., Severina, I. I., Simonyan, R. A., Skulachev, I. V., Skulachev, M. V., Sumbatyan, N. V., Sviryaeva, I. V., Tashlitsky, V. N., Vassiliev, J. M., Vyssokikh, M. Yu., Yaguzhinsky, L. S., Zamyatnin, A. A., Jr., and Skulachev, V. P. (2008) Biochemistry (Moscow), 73, 1273–1287.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bakeeva, L. E., Barskov, I. V., Egorov, M. V., Isaev, N. K., Kapel’ko, V. I., Kazachenko, A. V., Kirpatovsky, V. I., Kozlovsky, S. V., Lakomkin, V. L., Levina, S. V., Pisarenko, O. I., Plotnikov, E. Yu., Saprunova, V. B., Serebryakova, L. I., Skulachev, M. V., Stelmashuk, E. V., Studneva, I. M., Tskitishvili, O. V., Vasilieva, A. K., Viktorov, I. V., Zorov, D. B., and Skulachev, V. P. (2008) Biochemistry (Moscow), 73, 1288–1299.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Agapova, L. S., Chernyak, B. V., Domnina, L. V., Dugina, V. B., Efimenko, A. Yu., Fetisova, E. K., Ivanova, O. Yu., Kalinina, N. I., Khromova, N. V., Kopnin, B. P., Kopnin, P. B., Korotetskaya, M. V., Lichinitser, M. R., Lukashev, A. N., Pletyushkina, O. Yu., Popova, E. N., Skulachev, M. V., Shagieva, G. S., Stepanova, E. V., Titova, E. V., Tkachuk, V. A., Vasiliev, Yu. M., and Skulachev, V. P. (2008) Biochemistry (Moscow), 73, 1300–1316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Neroev, V. V., Arkhipova, M. M., Bakeeva, L. E., Fursova, A. Zh., Grigoryan, E. N., Grishanova, A. Yu., Iomdina, E. N., Ivashchenko, Zh. N., Katargina, L. A., Khoroshilova-Maslova, I. P., Kilina, O. V., Kolosova, N. G., Kopenkin, E. P., Korshunov, S. S., Kovaleva, N. A., Novikova, Yu. P., Filippov, P. P., Pilipenko, D. I., Robustova, O. V., Saprunova, V. B., Senin, I. I., Skulachev, M. B., Sotnikova, L. F., Stefanova, N. A., Tikhomirova, N. K., Tsapenko, I. V., Shchipanova, A. I., Zinovkin, R. A., and Skulachev, V. P. (2008) Biochemistry (Moscow), 73, 1317–1328.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Anisimov, V. N., Bakeeva, L. E., Egormin, P. A., Filenko, O. F., Isakova, E. F., Manskikh, V. N., Mikhelson, V. M., Panteleeva, A. A., Pasyukova, E. G., Pilipenko, D. I., Piskunova, T. S., Popovich, I. G., Roshchina, N. V., Rybina, O. Yu., Saprunova, V. B., Samoilova, T. A., Semenchenko, A. V., Skulachev, M. V., Spivak, I. M., Tsibulko, E. A., Tyndyk, M. L., Vyssokikh, M. Yu., Yurova, M. N., Zabezhinsky, M. A., and Skulachev, V. P. (2008) Biochemistry (Moscow), 73, 1329–1342.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Skulachev, V. P. (2003) in Topics in Current Genetics (Nystrom, T., and Osiewacz, H. D., eds.) Model Systems in Ageing, Vol. 3, Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg, pp. 191–238.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Skulachev, V. P. (2009) Ros. Khim. Zh., 3, 125–140.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Karasek, M. (2004) Exp. Gerontol., 39, 1723–1729.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Anisimov, S. V., and Popovic, N. (2004) Rev. Neurosci., 15, 209–230.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Anisimov, V. N. (2008) Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms of Aging [in Russian], Nauka, St. Petersburg.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Petrosillo, G., Casanova, G., Matera, M., Ruggiero, F. M., and Paradies, G. (2006) FEBS Lett., 580, 6311–6316.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Petrosillo, G., Moro, N., Ruggiero, F. M., and Paradies, G. (2009) Free Rad. Biol. Med., 47, 969–974.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Szilard, L. (1959) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 45, 30–45.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Jou, M. J., Peng, T. I., Yu, P. Z., Jou, S. B., Reiter, R. J., Chen, J. Y., Wu, H. Y., Chen, C. C., and Hsu, L. F. (2007) J. Pineal Res., 43, 389–403.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Petrosillo, G., Moro, N., Ruggiero, F. M., and Paradies, G. (2009) Aging Cell, in press.

  17. Skulachev, V. P. Anisimov, V. N., Antonenko, Yu. N., Bakeeva, L. E., Chernyak, B. V., Erichev, V. P., Filenko, O. F., Kalinina, N. I., Kapelko, V. I., Kolosova, N. G., Kopnin, B. P., Korshunova, G. A., Lichinitser, M. R., Obukhova, L. A., Pasyukova, E. G., Pisarenko, O. I., Roginsky, V. A., Ruuge, E. K., Senin, I. I., Severina, I. I., Skulachev, M. V., Spivak, I. M., Tashlitsky, V. N., Tkachuk, V. A., Vyssokikh, M. Yu., Yaguzhinsky, L. S., and Zorov, D. B. (2009) Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1787, 437–461.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Obukhova, L. A., Skulachev, V. P., and Kolosova, N. G. (2009) Aging, 1, 389–401.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bender, A., Hajieva, P., and Moosmann, B. (2008) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 105, 16496–16501.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Moosmann, B., and Behl, C. (2008) Aging Cell, 7, 32–46.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Kitazoe, Y., Kishino, H., Hasegava, M., Nakajima, N., Thorne, J. L., and Tanaka, M. (2008) PloS ONE, 3, e3343.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Luo, S., and Levine, R. (2009) FASEB J., 23, 464–472.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Gomez, J., Caro, P., Sanchez, I., Naudi, A., Jove, M., Portero-Otin, M., Lopez-Torres, M., Pamplona, R., and Barja, G. (2009) J. Bioenerg. Biomembr., 41, 309–321.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology and Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    V. P. Skulachev

Authors
  1. V. P. Skulachev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. P. Skulachev.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © V. P. Skulachev, 2009, published in Biokhimiya, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 12, pp. 1718–1721.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Skulachev, V.P. New data on biochemical mechanism of programmed senescence of organisms and antioxidant defense of mitochondria. Biochemistry Moscow 74, 1400–1403 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297909120165

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297909120165

Key words

Search

Navigation