Publications by authors named "Maria V Cascajo"

Primary coenzyme Q (CoQ) deficiency includes a heterogeneous group of mitochondrial diseases characterized by low mitochondrial levels of CoQ due to decreased endogenous biosynthesis rate. These diseases respond to CoQ treatment mainly at the early stages of the disease. The advances in the next generation sequencing (NGS) as whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) have increased the discoveries of mutations in either gene already described to participate in CoQ biosynthesis or new genes also involved in this pathway.

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Coenzyme Q (CoQ ) deficiency is a rare disease characterized by a decreased accumulation of CoQ in cell membranes. Considering that CoQ synthesis and most of its functions are carried out in mitochondria, CoQ deficiency cases are usually considered a mitochondrial disease. A relevant feature of CoQ deficiency is that it is the only mitochondrial disease with a successful therapy available, the CoQ supplementation.

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Fatty acids and glucose are the main bioenergetic substrates in mammals. Impairment of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation causes mitochondrial myopathy leading to decreased physical performance. Here, we report that haploinsufficiency of , a member of the aarF domain-containing mitochondrial protein kinase family, in human is associated with liver dysfunction and severe mitochondrial myopathy with lipid droplets in skeletal muscle.

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We evaluated the coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ) levels in patients who were diagnosed with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and non-OXPHOS disorders (n=72). Data from the 72 cases in this study revealed that 44.4% of patients showed low CoQ concentrations in either their skeletal muscle or skin fibroblasts.

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Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a key component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain carrying electrons from complexes I and II to complex III and it is an intrinsic component of the respirasome. CoQ concentration is highly regulated in cells in order to adapt the metabolism of the cell to challenges of nutrient availability and stress stimuli. At least 10 proteins have been shown to be required for CoQ biosynthesis in a multi-peptide complex and COQ7 is a central regulatory factor of this pathway.

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Background: It has been demonstrated that glucose transporter (GLUT1) deficiency in a mouse model causes a diminished cerebral lipid synthesis. This deficient lipid biosynthesis could contribute to secondary CoQ deficiency. We report here, for the first time an association between GLUT1 and coenzyme Q10 deficiency in a pediatric patient.

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Aims: Membrane-bound CYB5R3 deficiency in humans causes recessive hereditary methaemoglobinaemia (RHM), an incurable disease that is characterized by severe neurological disorders. CYB5R3 encodes for NADH-dependent redox enzyme that contributes to metabolic homeostasis and stress protection; however, how it is involved in the neurological pathology of RHM remains unknown. Here, the role and transcriptional regulation of CYB5R3 was studied under nutritional and oxidative stress.

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Objectives: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency syndrome is a rare condition that causes mitochondrial dysfunction and includes a variety of clinical presentations as encephalomyopathy, ataxia and renal failure. First, we sought to set up what all have in common, and then investigate why CoQ10 supplementation reverses the bioenergetics alterations in cultured cells but not all the cellular phenotypes. DESIGN MODELLING STUDY: This work models the transcriptome of human CoQ10 deficiency syndrome in primary fibroblast from patients and study the genetic response to CoQ10 treatment in these cells.

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Caloric restriction (CR) is the most potent intervention known to both protect against carcinogenesis and extend lifespan in laboratory animals. A variety of anticarcinogens and CR mimetics induce and activate the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Nrf2, in turn, induces a number of antioxidative and carcinogen-detoxifying enzymes.

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