| Location within campus: | Laboratory 2, Biomedicine Unit |
| Phone: | 555623-1333, etx 39783. |
| Head of Laboratory: | Dr. Emma Berta Gutiérrez Cirlos Madrid Full-time Full Professor B ember@unam.mx |
| Technicians affiliated to the laboratory: | M en C Tecilli Cabellos Avelar. tecillii@yahoo.com.mx |
| Research lines per researcher: | 1.- Study of the respiratory chain of Bacillus subtilis under different conditions to observe the formation of supercomplexes. 2.- Study of mitochondria in tissues obtained from murine models of human diseases such as cancer, colitis, and diabetes. |
We work with the respiratory chain (RC) of the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis. This bacterium has different protein complexes embedded in the cell membrane that donate electrons to the RC. However, it also contains different terminal electron acceptors. It is interesting that out of the 6 possible terminal electron acceptors, only 3 generate the necessary proton gradient for ATP synthesis. Another interesting feature is that it has a menaquinone-type quinone with a redox potential of -74 mV (compared to the mitochondrial ubiquinone, whose redox potential is close to 0 mV). B. subtilis is not harmful to humans, and mutants have been generated in the different complexes to study it. We know that the RC of B. subtilis forms supercomplexes in the cell membrane, and we study how these supercomplexes are formed and which proteins compose them. We have observed that different complexes are present in the cell membrane depending on the medium, indicating that the expression of the RC adjusts to the environmental conditions.
We also work with the mitochondrial RC, and our interest is to understand how it functions in murine models of human diseases. Some examples include diabetes, colorectal cancer, colitis, and exposure to nanoparticles. In collaboration with other laboratories, we obtain tissues from mice and evaluate the mitochondrial RC by comparing it with organs from healthy mice.
1.- Rodriguez-Sosa M, Cabellos-Avelar T, Sanchez-Zamora Y, Juárez-Avelar I, García-Reyes E, Lira-León A, Benítez-Flores JDC, Pacheco-Fernández T, Hiriart M, Gutiérrez-Cirlos EB. (2017). Proinflammatory cytokine MIF plays a role in the pathogenesis of type-2 diabetes mellitus, but does not affect hepatic mitochondrial function. Cytokine. 99:214-224. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2017.07.012.
2.- García Montes de Oca LY, Cabellos Avelar T, Picón Garrido GI, Chagoya-López A, González de la Vara L, Delgado Buenrostro NL, Chirino-López YI, Gómez-Lojero C, Gutiérrez-Cirlos EB. (2016). Cardiolipin deficiency causes a dissociation of the b 6 c:caa 3 megacomplex in B. subtilis membranes. J Bioenerg Biomembr. 48(4):451-67. doi: 10.1007/s10863-016-9671-y.
3.- Delgado-Buenrostro NL, Freyre-Fonseca V, Cuéllar CM, Sánchez-Pérez Y, Gutierrez-Cirlos EB, Cabellos-Avelar T, Orozco-Ibarra M, Pedraza-Chaverri J, Chirino YI. (2013). Decrease in respiratory function and electron transport chain induced by airborne particulate matter (PM10) exposure in lung mitochondria. Toxicol Pathol. 41(4):628-38. doi: 10.1177/0192623312463784.
4.- García Montes de Oca LY, Chagolla-López A, González de la Vara L, Cabellos-Avelar T, Gómez-Lojero C, Gutiérrez Cirlos EB. (2012) The composition of the Bacillus subtilis aerobic respiratory chain supercomplexes. J Bioenerg Biomembr. 44(4):473-86. doi: 10.1007/s10863-012-9454-z.
| Entry profile of potential thesis students: | Students wishing to join the laboratory should have knowledge in Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry. Specifically, basic knowledge of Bioenergetics and a keen interest in the Respiratory Chain and its functioning are required. It is important to have full-time availability if you are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s or postgraduate thesis. I am a tutor for the Graduate Programs in Biological Sciences and Biomedical Sciences. |
| Service Social Data: | Studies on the respiratory chain of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. 2020-12/63-2667 |