Interplay between Mitochondrial Metabolism and Cellular Redox State Dictates Cancer Cell Survival

Figure 3

Nuclear-encoded and mitochondrial-encoded mitochondria regulatory genes are susceptible to oxidative damage. Nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes such as SDH, which makes up complex II of the ETC, are assembled and transported into the mitochondria and susceptible to inactivation by ROS such as H₂O₂. In addition, FH generates energy for the cells by converting fumarate into malate in the TCA cycle, and SUV3 is a nuclear-encoded ATP-dependent DNA/RNA helicase and function as a tumor suppressor. The mtDNA encodes for subunits of the ETC and regulatory proteins that are important for the assembly and function of the ETC. The mtDNA is highly susceptible to oxidative stress-induced damage, leading to OXPHOS dysregulation. Figure created with biorender.com.