Mitochondrial Stress Drives Nucleophagy and the Release of Extracellular Vesicles Carrying DAMPs

Topic

Mitochondrial Stress Drives Nucleophagy and the Release of Extracellular Vesicles Carrying DAMPs.

Abstract

Mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive ROS production are major sources of cellular stress, particularly in aging cells. In this study, we show that oxidative stress leads to nuclear damage and activates nucleophagy, a selective process that removes damaged nuclear material via autophagic pathways. This is accompanied by the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) enriched in damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), including nuclear and mitochondrial components. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial ROS not only trigger intracellular quality control mechanisms but also reshape intercellular communication through EV-mediated stress signaling.

Biography

Carla Lopes holds a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Coimbra and completed her PhD in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine in 2015. She is currently an Assistant Researcher at the Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing, University of Coimbra. Her research focuses on understanding how mitochondrial dysfunction and extracellular vesicle (EV) signalling contribute to neuroinflammation, particularly in the context of aging-related neurodegenerative diseases. She investigates the molecular pathways linking cellular stress to intercellular communication and immune activation in the aging brain.

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