Valentina De Col
Structure and function of the permeability transition pore (PTP) in plant mitochondria
Supervisor: Angelo Vianello
Mitochondria are double-membrane organelles, which represent the main site of energy power in the eukaryotic cells. In aerobic conditions, the production of ATP in mitochondria is catalyzed by FOF1 ATP-synthase, using the transmembrane proton gradient.
The maintenance of a very low permeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane is crucial for the synthesis of ATP molecules, since the sudden opening of the permeability transition pore (PTP) leads to matrix swelling and outer membrane rupture.
Recently, it has been suggested that dimers of ATP-synthase in mammals could represent the main component of the mitochondrial PTP, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be established. Little information is available for PTP in other organisms, where mitochondria could be also involved in programmed cell death (PCD), in particular in higher plants.
The aim of this research is to investigate the mechanism of PTP in plant mitochondria, by elucidating the:
- structural aspects of FOF1 ATP-synthase, focusing on its crucial components, such as Cyclophylin D (CyPD) and Oligomycin Sensitivity Conferral Protein (OSCP);
- experimental condition for the regulation of PTP in mitochondria and sub-mitochondrial particles in the presence of potential effectors and/or inhibitors, e.g. calcium and phosphate ions, ADP/ATP and Cyclosporin A;
- possible involvement of PTP in programmed cell death (PCD) in plants, since the modification of permeability causes the release of pro-apoptotic factors from the intermembrane space, such as cytochrome c, triggering and/or amplifying cell death signals.
Biography and contacts
Valentina De Col was born in 1985 in Belluno-Italy. In 2009, she graduated in Environmental Science (110/110 cum laude) and in 2013 earned a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and Technology (110/110 cum laude) at University of Udine (Italy). In 2014 she started the doctoral course at the PhD school “Agriculture Science and Biotechnology” at the University of Udine.
[Phone +39 0432 558786]