Do mitochondria have an immune system?
- Authors: Popkov V.A.1,2, Zorova L.D.3, Korvigo I.O.4, Silachev D.N.1, Jankauskas S.S.1, Babenko V.A.1,2, Pevzner I.B.1, Danilina T.I.2, Zorov S.D.2, Plotnikov E.Y.1, Zorov D.B.1
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Affiliations:
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
- International Laser Research Center
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
- Issue: Vol 81, No 10 (2016)
- Pages: 1229-1236
- Section: Hypothesis
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/0006-2979/article/view/151070
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297916100217
- ID: 151070
Cite item
Abstract
The question if mitochondria have some kind of immune system is not trivial. The basis for raising this question is the fact that bacteria, which are progenitors of mitochondria, do have an immune system. The CRISPR system in bacteria based on the principle of RNA interference serves as an organized mechanism for destroying alien nucleic acids, primarily those of viral origin. We have shown that mitochondria are also a target for viral attacks, probably due to a related organization of genomes in these organelles and bacteria. Bioinformatic analysis performed in this study has not given a clear answer if there is a CRISPR-like immune system in mitochondria. However, this does not preclude the possibility of mitochondrial immunity that can be difficult to decipher or that is based on some principles other than those of CRISPR.
Keywords
About the authors
V. A. Popkov
Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology; Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991; Moscow, 119991
L. D. Zorova
International Laser Research Center
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991
I. O. Korvigo
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Dolgoprudny, 141701
D. N. Silachev
Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991
S. S. Jankauskas
Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991
V. A. Babenko
Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology; Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991; Moscow, 119991
I. B. Pevzner
Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991
T. I. Danilina
Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991
S. D. Zorov
Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991
E. Y. Plotnikov
Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991
D. B. Zorov
Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology
Author for correspondence.
Email: zorov@genebee.msu.su
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991
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