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Ecological significance of mitochondrial toxicants.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Jayasundara, N
Published in: Toxicology
November 2017

Mitochondrial dysfunction with exposure to anthropogenic contaminants is a critical concern in biomedical and ecological health. Importantly, understanding the role of mitotoxicants in modulating organismal fitness and survival, particularly in the context of species' resilience to shifts in abiotic factors with climate change, is emerging as a key consideration. To date, only a few studies have focused on effects of mitotoxicants on organismal responses to additional abiotic stressors (e.g., shifts in temperature, levels of oxygen, and salinity); however, these serve to demonstrate that chemical exposure could alter stress responses. Here a theoretical framework is presented to integrate mitochondrial dysfunction into organismal response to additional stressors, highlighting the importance of sustaining the capacity to conserve or regenerate a healthy population of mitochondria, i.e., maintaining mitochondrial plasticity, in a multi-stressor environment. The complexity of mitochondria-associated processes and impact of mitotoxicants in the context of shifts in fate and transport of anthropogenic chemicals with climate change are also considered. Considering the crucial role of mitochondria in multi-stressor environments and their vulnerability to physical and chemical stressors, this review proposes the use of mitochondrial function as a physiological marker of species resilience to environmental change. Finally, impacts of contaminants on mitochondrial health of wildlife are important in their own right, but the potential use of these studies, especially mitochondrial DNA analyses, to inform long-term impacts of chemicals on mitochondria in a human health context is also discussed.

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Published In

Toxicology

DOI

EISSN

1879-3185

ISSN

0300-483X

Publication Date

November 2017

Volume

391

Start / End Page

64 / 74

Related Subject Headings

  • Toxicology
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Risk Assessment
  • Mitochondria
  • Humans
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Environment
  • Ecotoxicology
  • DNA, Mitochondrial
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Jayasundara, N. (2017). Ecological significance of mitochondrial toxicants. Toxicology, 391, 64–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2017.07.015
Jayasundara, Nishad. “Ecological significance of mitochondrial toxicants.Toxicology 391 (November 2017): 64–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2017.07.015.
Jayasundara N. Ecological significance of mitochondrial toxicants. Toxicology. 2017 Nov;391:64–74.
Jayasundara, Nishad. “Ecological significance of mitochondrial toxicants.Toxicology, vol. 391, Nov. 2017, pp. 64–74. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.tox.2017.07.015.
Jayasundara N. Ecological significance of mitochondrial toxicants. Toxicology. 2017 Nov;391:64–74.
Journal cover image

Published In

Toxicology

DOI

EISSN

1879-3185

ISSN

0300-483X

Publication Date

November 2017

Volume

391

Start / End Page

64 / 74

Related Subject Headings

  • Toxicology
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Risk Assessment
  • Mitochondria
  • Humans
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Environment
  • Ecotoxicology
  • DNA, Mitochondrial