What is cardiolipine?
Cardiolipine (CL) is a complex lipid molecule found in animals, plants and bacteria. In animals, it is primarily placed in the inner mitochondrial membrane. This lipid plays an important structural role in maintaining the right configuration for mitochondrial enzymes that contribute to breathing and generating a proton gradient. Recent research has shown that CL is also found in smaller quantities in the external mitochondrial membrane, where they are assumed that these two membranes are connected together. Many human diseases are caused by defects or decreased concentration of this compound. Cardiolipine is thus named because it was first identified in the tissue of the heart of cows. It is technically diffosphatidylgycerol lipid. Its groups of fatty acids are less complex than other molecules, because they consist of four chains of oil line, 18 carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids. Both groups of phosphates on them can have different charges, allowing a large degree of structural variability with thisLipidem.
cardiolipine has a number of functions and includes about 25% of lipids in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondria is a cellhouses cells and serves as the location of breathing and a large part of the production of high -energy compounds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). These structures have external and internal membrane, each containing lipids, proteins and many enzymes and compartment between membranes. The CL was originally considered to be present in the inner membrane, but since then it has been shown to include about 4% of lipids in the outer membrane. It is assumed that they form a connection between two membranes, which is essential for the functioning of a number of very important mitochondrial proteins.
Anti-cardiiolipine antibodies are used for different medical purposes. One such purpose is to diagnose autoimmune diseases such as lupus. If a positive result is obtained, the patient is re -tested six weeks later. They are usedThe syphilis is to diagnose, because the bacteria that cause this disease have CL in their membranes. Thrombotic events, such as blood clots in the circulatory system or in a history of recurring abortions, are other reasons to use cardiolipine antibodies as a clinical tool.
Many health conditions are the result of defects of CL production or changes in its concentration or structure during aging. Cardiopin may be oxidized to form toxic derivatives that are expected to accumulate in the brain. These compounds are assumed as a factor in the development of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.