When and How Can Death Be an Adaptation?

The concept of phenoptosis (or programmed organismal death) is problematic with respect to most species (including humans) since it implies that dying of old age is an adaptation, which contradicts the established evolutionary theory. But can dying ever be a strategy to promote fitness? Given recent developments in our understanding of the evolution of altruism, particularly kin and multilevel selection theories, it is timely to revisit the possible existence of adaptive death. Here, we discuss how programmed death could be an adaptive trait under certain conditions found in organisms capable of clonal colonial existence, such as the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and, perhaps, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The concept of phenoptosis is only tenable if consistent with the evolutionary theory; this accepted, phenoptosis may only occur under special conditions that do not apply to most animal groups (including mammals).

Novel mitochondria-targeted compounds composed of natural constituents: conjugates of plant alkaloids berberine and palmatine with plastoquinone.

Novel mitochondria-targeted compounds composed entirely of natural constituents have been synthesized and tested in model lipid membranes, in isolated mitochondria, and in living human cells in culture. Berberine and palmatine, penetrating cations of plant origin, were conjugated by nonyloxycarbonylmethyl residue with the plant electron carrier and antioxidant plastoquinone. These conjugates (SkQBerb, SkQPalm) and their analogs lacking the plastoquinol moiety (C10Berb and C10Palm) penetrated across planar bilayer phospholipid membrane in their cationic forms and accumulated in isolated mitochondria or in mitochondria in living human cells in culture. Reduced forms of SkQBerb and SkQPalm inhibited lipid peroxidation in isolated mitochondria at nanomolar concentrations. In isolated mitochondria and in living cells, the berberine and palmatine moieties were not reduced, so antioxidant activity belonged exclusively to the plastoquinol moiety. In human fibroblasts, nanomolar SkQBerb and SkQPalm prevented fragmentation of mitochondria and apoptosis induced by exogenous hydrogen peroxide. At higher concentrations, conjugates of berberine and palmatine induced proton transport mediated by free fatty acids both in model and in mitochondrial membrane. In mitochondria this process was facilitated by the adenine nucleotide carrier. As an example of application of the novel mitochondria-targeted antioxidants SkQBerb and SkQPalm to studies of signal transduction, we discuss induction of cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and morphological normalization of some tumor cells. We suggest that production of oxygen radicals in mitochondria is necessary for growth factors-MAP-kinase signaling, which supports proliferation and transformed phenotype.

[P66shc action on resistance of colon carcinoma RKO cells to oxidative stress].

P66shc protein is an alternative transcript product of SHC1 gene. While two other isoforms (p52shc and p46shc) have adaptor function in RAS signaling pathway, p66shc regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. P66shc genome knockout significantly extends lifespan in mice. Though p66shc was determined to translocate into mitochondria and led to increase in intracellular ROS, the mechanism by which the protein take part in signaling pathways that regulates resistance to cellular stresses remains poorly studied. P66shc has an important role in carcinogenesis and its increased expression correlates with poor prognosis in colon cancer. In this work we have applied RNA interference using lentiviral constructions that express short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against N-terminal CH2 domain of p66shc isoform. Using this approach p66 but not p52 and p46 SHC1 isoform expression was selectively suppressed in colon carcinoma RKO cells. RKO cells with p66shc knockdown have shown to be more resistant to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide or serum starvation. Fragmentation of mitochondria that depends on mitochondrial ROS accumulation during oxidative stress was significantly decreased in this cells. The data obtained are in agreement with hypothesis that p66shc participates in ROS accumulation in mitochondria and by this means promotes induction of apoptosis.

The Role of p66shc in Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis.

p66shcis a gene that regulates the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis induction, and lifespan in mammals. Miceknocked out forp66shchave a lifespan~30% longeranddemonstrate an enhanced resistance to oxidative stress and age-related pathologies such as hypercholesterolemia, ischemia, and hyperglycemia. In this respect, p66shc is a promising pharmacological target for the treatment of age-related diseases. In this review, an attempt has been made to survey and put to a critical analysis data concerning the involvement of p66shс in the different signaling pathways that regulate oxidative stress and apoptosis.