Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells
In glioblastoma (GBM) cells, an impairment of mitochondrial activity along with autophagy suppression occurs. Autophagy suppression in GBM promotes stemness, invasion, and poor prognosis. The autophagy deficit seems to be due, at least in part, to an abnormal up-regulation of the mammalian target of...
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/13/4570 |
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| author | Rosangela Ferese Paola Lenzi Federica Fulceri Francesca Biagioni Cinzia Fabrizi Stefano Gambardella Pietro Familiari Alessandro Frati Fiona Limanaqi Francesco Fornai |
| author_facet | Rosangela Ferese Paola Lenzi Federica Fulceri Francesca Biagioni Cinzia Fabrizi Stefano Gambardella Pietro Familiari Alessandro Frati Fiona Limanaqi Francesco Fornai |
| author_sort | Rosangela Ferese |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In glioblastoma (GBM) cells, an impairment of mitochondrial activity along with autophagy suppression occurs. Autophagy suppression in GBM promotes stemness, invasion, and poor prognosis. The autophagy deficit seems to be due, at least in part, to an abnormal up-regulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which may be counteracted by pharmacological mTORC1 inhibition. Since autophagy activation is tightly bound to increased mitochondriogenesis, a defect in the synthesis of novel mitochondria is expected to occur in GBM cells. In an effort to measure a baseline deficit in mitochondria and promote mitochondriogenesis, the present study used two different GBM cell lines, both featuring mTOR hyperactivity. mTORC1 inhibition increases the expression of genes and proteins related to autophagy, mitophagy, and mitochondriogenesis. Autophagy activation was counted by RT-PCR of autophagy genes, LC3- immune-fluorescent puncta and immune-gold, as well as specific mitophagy-dependent BNIP3 stoichiometric increase in situ, within mitochondria. The activation of autophagy-related molecules and organelles after rapamycin exposure occurs concomitantly with progression of autophagosomes towards lysosomes. Remarkably, mitochondrial biogenesis and plasticity (increased mitochondrial number, integrity, and density as well as decreased mitochondrial area) was long- lasting for weeks following rapamycin withdrawal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:51:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c552a84f6d4e48ba96b64fb541d271d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:51:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-c552a84f6d4e48ba96b64fb541d271d62023-11-20T05:06:30ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672020-06-012113457010.3390/ijms21134570Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma CellsRosangela Ferese0Paola Lenzi1Federica Fulceri2Francesca Biagioni3Cinzia Fabrizi4Stefano Gambardella5Pietro Familiari6Alessandro Frati7Fiona Limanaqi8Francesco Fornai9I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli (IS), ItalyDepartment of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine University of Pisa, via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, ItalyI.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli (IS), ItalyDepartment of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Via A. Borelli 50, 00161 Rome, ItalyI.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli (IS), ItalyDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Division of Neurosurgery, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, ItalyI.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli (IS), ItalyDepartment of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, ItalyI.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli (IS), ItalyIn glioblastoma (GBM) cells, an impairment of mitochondrial activity along with autophagy suppression occurs. Autophagy suppression in GBM promotes stemness, invasion, and poor prognosis. The autophagy deficit seems to be due, at least in part, to an abnormal up-regulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which may be counteracted by pharmacological mTORC1 inhibition. Since autophagy activation is tightly bound to increased mitochondriogenesis, a defect in the synthesis of novel mitochondria is expected to occur in GBM cells. In an effort to measure a baseline deficit in mitochondria and promote mitochondriogenesis, the present study used two different GBM cell lines, both featuring mTOR hyperactivity. mTORC1 inhibition increases the expression of genes and proteins related to autophagy, mitophagy, and mitochondriogenesis. Autophagy activation was counted by RT-PCR of autophagy genes, LC3- immune-fluorescent puncta and immune-gold, as well as specific mitophagy-dependent BNIP3 stoichiometric increase in situ, within mitochondria. The activation of autophagy-related molecules and organelles after rapamycin exposure occurs concomitantly with progression of autophagosomes towards lysosomes. Remarkably, mitochondrial biogenesis and plasticity (increased mitochondrial number, integrity, and density as well as decreased mitochondrial area) was long- lasting for weeks following rapamycin withdrawal.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/13/4570autophagymitophagylysosomesmitochondrial biogenesismitochondrial DNAPGC1α |
| spellingShingle | Rosangela Ferese Paola Lenzi Federica Fulceri Francesca Biagioni Cinzia Fabrizi Stefano Gambardella Pietro Familiari Alessandro Frati Fiona Limanaqi Francesco Fornai Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells International Journal of Molecular Sciences autophagy mitophagy lysosomes mitochondrial biogenesis mitochondrial DNA PGC1α |
| title | Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells |
| title_full | Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells |
| title_fullStr | Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells |
| title_short | Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells |
| title_sort | quantitative ultrastructural morphometry and gene expression of mtor related mitochondriogenesis within glioblastoma cells |
| topic | autophagy mitophagy lysosomes mitochondrial biogenesis mitochondrial DNA PGC1α |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/13/4570 |
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