The Department of Pathology and Poultry Diseases held a workshop entitled: The Role of Mitochondrial Dynamics in Apoptosis as an Important Player.

The Department of Pathology and Poultry Diseases held a workshop entitled: The Role of Mitochondrial Dynamics in Apoptosis as an Important Player.

presented by Asst. Prof. Dr. Aoula Emad Al-Zebeeba.

The workshop dealt with identifying the dynamics of mitochondria, which is summarised in two processes, the first of which is known as fusion and the other is fission. In addition, identify the proteins that are important in both processes and the role of each of them, such as OPA1, which is important in the fusion process, and DRP1 in the fission process. Then, the role of both of them in regulating the process of programmed cell death that occurs at the level of mitochondria and the relationship of these proteins with another protein family is important in regulating programmed death, which is the BCL-2 family of proteins. The workshop concluded:

1. DRP-1 is required for BH3 mimetic-mediated cytochrome c release. In addition, DRP-1 acts downstream of OPA-1 to regulate BH3 mimetic-mediated apoptosis.

2. OPA-1 is proteolyzed into short ones, changing the mitochondrial ultrastructure in a process called mitochondrial cristae remodelling.