RGD Reference Report - Mitochondrial localization of APE/Ref-1 in thyroid cells. - Rat Genome Database

Send us a Message



Submit Data |  Help |  Video Tutorials |  News |  Publications |  Download |  REST API |  Citing RGD |  Contact   

Mitochondrial localization of APE/Ref-1 in thyroid cells.

Authors: Tell, G  Crivellato, E  Pines, A  Paron, I  Pucillo, C  Manzini, G  Bandiera, A  Kelley, MR  Di Loreto, C  Damante, G 
Citation: Tell G, etal., Mutat Res. 2001 Mar 7;485(2):143-52.
RGD ID: 2315683
Pubmed: PMID:11182545   (View Abstract at PubMed)

Mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are associated with different human diseases, including cancer and aging. Reactive oxygen species produced during oxidative phosphorylation are a major source of mtDNA damage. It is not clear, however, whether DNA repair mechanisms, able to abolish effects due to oxidative damage, are present in mitochondria. APE/Ref-1 is a nuclear protein possessing both redox activity (by which activates, "in vitro", the DNA-binding functions of several transcription factors) and DNA repair activity over apurinic/apyrimidinic sites. Immunohistochemical evidences indicate that in follicular thyroid cells, APE/Ref-1 is located in both nucleus and cytoplasm. Electronmicroscopy immunocytochemistry performed in the rat thyroid FRTL-5 cell line, indicates that part of the cytoplasmatic APE/Ref-1 is located in mitochondria. The presence of APE/Ref-1 inside mitochondria is further demonstrated by western blot analysis after cell fractionation. In the Kimol cell line (which is derived from FRTL-5, transformed by the Ki-ras oncogene) the amount of mitochondrial APE/Ref-1 is reduced by three to fourfold with respect to the normal FRTL-5 cells. These results suggest that: (i) a machinery capable of repairing DNA damaged by oxidative stress is present in mitochondria and (ii) mtDNA repair mechanisms may be impaired during cell transformation.

Objects referenced in this article
Gene Apex1 apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 Rattus norvegicus

Additional Information