Mika Jekabsons

Professor of Biology

• Faculty
• Instructor

• Email:

  jekabson@olemiss.edu

• Office Location:

  110 Shoemaker Hall

• Phone:

  662-915-3998

Dr. Jekabsons is a cell biologist who studies mitochondrial bioenergetics and the role of mitochondria in cell death.

Research Interests

Dr. Jekabsons research interests include:

• Mitochondrial bioenergetics
• Mitochondrial function within cells
• The role of mitochondria in apoptotic and necrotic cell death

Publications

N.M.C. Connolly, P. Theurey, V. Adam-Vizi, N.G. Bazan, P. Bernardi, J.P. Bolaños, C. Culmsee, V.L. Dawson, M. Deshmukh, M.R. Duchen, H. Düssmann, G.M. Fiskum, M.F. Galindo, G.E. Hardingham, J.M. Hardwick, M.B. Jekabsons, E.A. Jonas, J. Jordán, S.A. Lipton, G. Manfredi, M.P. Mattson, B. McLaughlin, A. Methner, A.N. Murphy, M.P. Murphy, D.G. Nicholls, B.M. Polster, T. Pozzan, R. Rizzuto, R.S. Slack, J. Satrústegui, R.A. Swanson, R. Swerdlow, Y. Will, Z. Ying, A. Joselin, A. Gioran, C.M. Pinho, O. Watters, M. Salvucci, I. Llorente-Folch, D.S. Park, D. Bano, M. Ankarcrona, P. Pizzo, J.H.M. Prehn. Guidelines on experimental methods to assess mitochondrial dysfunction in cellular models of neurodegenerative diseases. Cell Death Differ. 25: 542-572, 2018.

Neurodegenerative diseases are a spectrum of chronic, debilitating disorders characterised by the progressive degeneration and death of neurons. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in most neurodegenerative diseases, but in many instances it is unclear whether such dysfunction is a cause or an effect of the underlying pathology, and whether it represents a viable therapeutic target. It is therefore imperative to utilise and optimise cellular models and experimental techniques appropriate to determine the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to neurodegenerative disease phenotypes. In this consensus article, we collate details on and discuss pitfalls of existing experimental approaches to assess mitochondrial function in in vitro cellular models of neurodegenerative diseases, including specific protocols for the measurement of oxygen consumption rate in primary neuron cultures, and single-neuron, time-lapse fluorescence imaging of the mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial NAD(P)H. As part of the Cellular Bioenergetics of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CeBioND) consortium ( www.cebiond.org ), we are performing cross-disease analyses to identify common and distinct molecular mechanisms involved in mitochondrial bioenergetic dysfunction in cellular models of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. Here we provide detailed guidelines and protocols as standardised across the five collaborating laboratories of the CeBioND consortium, with additional contributions from other experts in the field.

M.B. Jekabsons, H.M. Gebril, Y.H. Wang, B. Avula, I.A. Khan. Updates to a ¹³C metabolic flux analysis model for evaluating energy metabolism in cultured cerebellar granule neurons from neonatal rats. Neurochem. Int. 109: 54-67, 2017.

H.M. Gebril, B. Avula, Y.H. Wang, I.A. Khan, and M.B. Jekabsons. ¹³C Metabolic flux analysis in neurons utilizing a model that accounts for hexose phosphate recycling within the pentose phosphate pathway.Neurochem. Int. 93: 26-39, 2016.

F. Mahdi, J.B. Morgan, W. Liu, A.K. Agarwal, M.B. Jekabsons, Y. Liu, Y.D. Zhou, and D.G. Nagle. Sampangine (a copyrine alkaloid) exerts biological activities through cellular redox cycling of its quinone and semiquinone intermediates. J. Nat. Prod. 78: 3018-3023, 2015.

J.B. Morgan, Y. Liu, V. Coothankandaswamy, F. Mahdi, M.B. Jekabsons, W.H. Gerwick, F.A. Valeriote, Y.D. Zhou, and D.G. Nagle. Kalkitoxin inhibits angiogenesis, disrupts cellular hypoxic signaling, and blocks mitochondrial electron transport in tumor cells. Mar. Drugs. 13: 1552-1568, 2015

S. Datta, F. Mahdi, Z. Ali, M.B. Jekabsons, I.A. Khan, D.G. Nagle, and Y.D. Zhou. Toxins in botanical dietary supplements: blue cohosh components disrupt cellular respiration and mitochondrial membrane potential. J. Nat. Prod. 77: 111-117, 2014

J. Li, F. Mahdi, L. Du, M.B. Jekabsons, Y.D. Zhou, and D.G. Nagle. Semisynthetic studies identify mitochondria poisons from botanical dietary supplements: geranyloxycoumarins from Aegle marmelos. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 21: 1795-1803, 2013.

S. Datta, J. Li, F. Mahdi, M.B. Jekabsons, D.G. Nagle, and Y.D. Zhou. Glycolysis inhibitor screening identifies the bis-geranylacylphloroglucinol protonophore moronone from Moronobea coccinea. J. Nat. Prod. 75: 2216-2222, 2012.

L. Du, F. Mahdi, S. Datta, M.B. Jekabsons, Y.D. Zhou, and D.G. Nagle. Structures and Mechanisms of Antitumor Agents – Xestoquinones Uncouple Cellular Respiration and Disrupt HIF Signaling in Human Breast Tumor Cells. J. Nat. Prod. 75: 1553-1559, 2012.

Courses Taught

• BISC 330 Principles of Physiology

Grants

National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Co-PI with Yu-Dong Zhou (UM Biochemistry). Funding period: July 2016-2019. Topic: Anti-metastatic drug discovery that targets metabolic plasticity.

 

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Funding period: July 2008-June 2011. Topic: Regulation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax during neuronal apoptosis.