Cell Free Mitochondria?

SOMO

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My first thought, before I read the article, was that a cell ruptured/underwent apoptosis and the Mitochondrion was released into the serum. I wonder if the immune system would recognize the Mitochondria as a bacterium though and recruit Macrophages to consume/lyse the Mitochondria.

If the immune system did attack these Mitochondria, would that be considered an "Auto-Immune" reaction?

Perhaps these mitochondria are able to reduce FFA in the blood by producing energy/heat from NEFA in the serum? Or perhaps they are contributing ATP to the vasculature?

The article mirrors my thoughts in this portion:
Thierry isn’t particularly surprised that mitochondria could be circulating in the blood. “Bacteria can circulate in blood when there is an infection,” he says. So it’s not inconceivable that mitochondria, which have descended from bacteria, could do the same, he says.

The team estimates that there could be between 200,000 and 3.7 million cell-free, intact mitochondria per milliliter of blood plasma.

“The whole thing surprises me,” remarks Joel Riley of the University of Glasgow who studies how mitochondria can stimulate inflammation and who wasn’t involved in the study. “We know that bits of mitochondria can get kicked out of cells through extracellular vesicles [when they are damaged], but whole mitochondria—that’s pretty cool,” he says.

But no word of as to whether the Immune System tries to wipe out these independent Mitochondria.

The plot thickens...
 
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RealNeat

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My first thought, before I read the article, was that a cell ruptured/underwent apoptosis and the Mitochondrion was released into the serum. I wonder if the immune system would recognize the Mitochondria as a bacterium though and recruit Macrophages to consume/lyse the Mitochondria.

If the immune system did attack these Mitochondria, would that be considered an "Auto-Immune" reaction?

The article mirrors my thoughts in this portion:
[quoteThierry isn’t particularly surprised that mitochondria could be circulating in the blood. “Bacteria can circulate in blood when there is an infection,” he says. So it’s not inconceivable that mitochondria, which have descended from bacteria, could do the same, he says.

The team estimates that there could be between 200,000 and 3.7 million cell-free, intact mitochondria per milliliter of blood plasma.

“The whole thing surprises me,” remarks Joel Riley of the University of Glasgow who studies how mitochondria can stimulate inflammation and who wasn’t involved in the study. “We know that bits of mitochondria can get kicked out of cells through extracellular vesicles [when they are damaged], but whole mitochondria—that’s pretty cool,” he says.

But no word of as to whether the Immune System tries to wipe out these independent Mitochondria.

The plot thickens...[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure of the quantity RBC organelle ejection would produce but it seems logical that the "lifecycle" of a red blood cell contributes a decent amount of these mitochondria. My curiosity of red blood cell "energy production" (which seems to be anaerobic glycolysis, especially after mitochondria ejection?) is what led me to the article above. The organelles being absent apparently make it so the RBCs have maximum hemoglobin and oxygen carrying capacity.

Another theory is that the organelles are absent to prevent the formation of too much ROS in a mammalian environment of high heme iron and high sugar.
Red blood cell extrudes nucleus and mitochondria against oxidative stress - PubMed

Whats interesting is that Ray often comments on the fallacies related to insulin and "receptors" and this seems like a good example of such remarks. It appears these RBCs dont "need" insulin and don't have insulin "receptors" but still uptake glucose and perform anaerobic glycolysis.


"Erythropoiesis: Production of RBCs

Multipotent stem cell differentiates into Proerythroblast

Proerythroblast begins producing hemoglobin, becoming erythroblast

Erythroblast ejects nucleus, becoming a reticulocyte

Reticulocyte escapes from bone marrow into the blood.

In 1-2 days, reticulocyte ejects remaining organelles, becoming Erythrocyte"

From: (shows an "image' of the RBC process near the end of the text)
Physiology of red blood cells
 

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