Biophysical Society Bulletin | June 2021

Communities

Bioenergetics, Mitochondria, and MetabolismSubgroup

University, on Permeability transition currents at the level of the whole mitochondrion . It continued with the lecture of Rafael de Cabo from the National Institute on Aging, NIH, titled The im- pact of NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) on health and mitochondrial glucose and lipid metabolism . Ann Chiao from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation closed the afternoon session with Mitochondrial function and mTOR signaling in aging and lifespan . Aon gave the closing remarks of the meeting, highlighting the multifaceted role played by mitochondria in the biology of ag- ing, particularly in the extension of overall health and lifespan conferred by mitochondrial health. Specifically, the lectures by Muoio, Denu, and de Cabo converged on the role of acetyla- tion-mediated posttranslational modifications of mitochon- drial enzymes related to lipids and NAD + metabolism as well as metabolic shifts between glucose and lipid metabolism in the context of high fat diets, metabolic disorders, and caloric restriction, as well as their impact on health and lifespan. The Navas lecture concentrated on the role of coenzyme Q, a key component of the respiratory chain, on the mitochondrial modulation of the metabolic partitioning between glucose and fatty acids along with its impact on human health. Chiao addressed the impact of aging on mitochondrial function and its consequences for cardiac function, and how restoration of mitochondrial function can reverse the adverse consequences of aging on cardiac function. Overall, the excellence of the speakers’ presentations rep- resented an enlightening and appealing opportunity for the mitochondrial research field to explore novel emerging molec- ular targets involved in the healthy function of this organelle and their impact on the biology of aging and the onset of related diseases. — Miguel A. Aon and Gyorgy Csordas , Outgoing Subgroup Co-Chairs

On February 22, 2021 during the 65th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, the first Virtual Symposium of the Bioen- ergetics, Mitochondria, and Metabolism Subgroup took place, titled “Mitochondrial and metabolic mechanisms of lifespan and healthspan extension.” Co-chaired by Sonia Cortassa and Miguel A. Aon from the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health (NIH), the symposium featured a stellar group of speakers at the forefront of biology of aging research, who displayed the multifaceted ways in which sustained mitochondrial health can contribute to overall health and lifespan. In her opening remarks of the symposium, Cortassa under- scored the evolution of the research field of aging towards the envisioning of an organism’s aging as a unique biological trajectory that in the case of humans involves (in addition to genetic makeup) lifestyle, nutritional habits, and medical history to determine quality of life. Deborah M. Muoio from Duke University presented the first talk on Mitochondrial adaptations to bioenergetic stress , fol- lowed by John Denu from the University of Wisconsin–Madi- son with Mitochondrial metabolism and the epigenome. Plácido Navas from Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Sevilla, Spain closed the morning session with Coenzyme Q at the hinge of mitochondrial health and metabolic disease. The afternoon session began with the recipient of the Young Bioenergeticist Award, Maria Neginskaya from New York

When you renew your membership for 2022, select the Subgroup(s) that most closely fit your research focus. • Bioenergetics, Mitochondria, & Metabolism • Bioengineering • Biological Fluorescence • Biopolymers in vivo • Channels, Receptors, & Transporters • Cryo-EM • Intrinsically Disordered Proteins • Macromolecular Machines & Assemblies • Mechanobiology • Membrane Fusion, Fission, & Traffic • Membrane Structure & Function • Membrane Transport • Motility & Cytoskeleton • Multiscale Genome Organization • Nanoscale Approaches to Biology • Physical Cell Biology • Single-Molecule Forces, Manipulation, & Visualization • Theory & Computation

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