Our mitochondria aren’t just powerhouses—they’re molecular Zen masters, balancing catabolic and anabolic forces like Yin and Yang! ☯️
🟠 Yang (Oxidative Mitochondria) – ATP Powerhouses 🔥
💥 OXPHOS (Oxidative Phosphorylation) – Converts nutrients into ATP
🔄 TCA Cycle (Krebs Cycle) – Fuels ATP production with energy intermediates
⚙️ ETC (Electron Transport Chain) – Transfers electrons to drive ATP synthesis
🔋 Complex I-IV – Electron transport to create a proton gradient
⚡ Complex V (ATP Synthase) – Uses proton gradient to make ATP
🔵 Yin (Reductive Mitochondria) – Biosynthetic Factories 🏗
🧬 P5CS (Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate Synthase) – Drives proline & ornithine biosynthesis
🔹 Proline & Ornithine – Essential for collagen production & tumor metabolism 🏗 MICOS – Mitochondrial architecture for cristae formation
💡 The Dynamic Balance – Fusion & Fission
🔁 MFN1/2 (Mitofusin 1 & 2) → Fusion → More Yang → Maximizes ATP ⚡
✂️ DRP1 (Dynamin-Related Protein 1) → Fission → More Yin → Supports biosynthesis 🏗
🔄 OPA1 – Maintains cristae structure, regulating ATP production
🧬 Why It Matters?
⚠️ Cancer Cells → Hijack P5CS-driven biosynthesis for tumor growth
🏗 Fibrosis (IPF, cardiac fibrosis, MASH) → Uses proline biosynthesis for excess collagen
🔬 Targeting fusion/fission → A potential therapeutic strategy to rebalance metabolism!
Mitochondria = The Yin-Yang of Life ☯️🤯👇
Chen, B., Shah, Y. M., & Lyssiotis, C. A. (2025). Subcellular mitochondrial heterogeneity enables opposing metabolic demands. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2025.01.003
#Mitochondria #YinYangBiology #CellMetabolism #Bioenergetics #ScienceTwitter #MolecularBiology #CancerResearch

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