Mitochondria membrane transformations in colon and prostate cancer and their biological implications.

Mitochondria have emerged as important determinants in cancer progression and malignancy. However, the role of mitochondrial membranes in cancer onset and progression has not been thoroughly investigated. This study compares the structural and functional properties of mitochondrial membranes in prostate and colon cancer cells in comparison to normal mitochondria, and possible therapeutic implications of these membrane changes. Specifically, isolation of cell mitochondria and preparation of inverted sub-mitochondrial particles (SMPs) illuminated significant cancer-induced modulations of membrane lipid compositions, fluidity, and activity of cytochrome c oxidase, one of the key mitochondrial enzymes. The experimental data further show that cancer-associated membrane transformations may account for mitochondria targeting by betulinic acid and resveratrol, known anti-cancer molecules. Overall, this study probes the relationship between cancer and mitochondrial membrane transformations, underlying a potential therapeutic significance for mitochondrial membrane targeting in cancer. Unlabelled Image • Transformation of lipid composition in colon and prostate cancers identified • Significantly increased concentration of cardiolipin detected • Elevated cardiolipin concentration was shown to affect enzyme functionalities in sub-mitochondria particles (SMPs) • The elevated cardiolipin level in cancer mitochondria is linked with mitochondrial targeting by betulinic acid and reservatrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]