Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/11/2023
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Dr. Nicolas Pichaud

Dept. Chemistry and Biochemistry

Université de Moncton

https://www.umoncton.ca/prof/umcm-pichaud_nicolas

Title: Exploring the versatility of mitochondrial substrate oxidation: a key role for temperature in insects?

Abstract: Insect species represent more than 70% of all animal species and have also colonized just about every thermal habitats on earth. As mitochondria are the metabolic hub of the cell and are highly influenced by temperatures, they should play a key role to cope with thermal stress. During this seminar, I will review the capacity of insects’ mitochondria to oxidize different metabolic fuels and the resulting consequences on mitochondrial functions such as oxygen consumption, ATP production and reactive oxygen species generation when organisms are confronted with thermal changes. I will then discuss about the importance of this mitochondrial flexibility that likely helped insects to tolerate and adapt to different thermal environments.