Jose Antonio Enríquez PhD

José Antonio Enríquez received a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid and a doctorate from the University of Zaragoza (UniZar) in 1992. During his thesis he studied several aspects of mitochondrial DNA biogenesis (mtDNA). Between 1993 and 1997 he worked with G. Attardi at the California Institute of Technology, where he investigated the pathogenic action of mutated mitochondrial tRNAs. His work during this period helped to define the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon and helped to establish a general methodology for the study of mitochondrial tRNAs. This methodology has been applied in studies of mitochondrial biogenesis, as well as in the analysis of diseases related to mtDNA. In 1997 José Antonio returned to the UniZar founding a research group that has made important contributions in the understanding of the biogenesis and bioenergy of the mitochondria, their role in cellular apoptosis, the structure and regulation of the respiratory chain and the consequences pathological alterations of mitochondrial function; describing recently a possible explanation of how ROS production is affected in murine phenotypes associated with common variants of mtDNA.