Hydrogen peroxide stimulating migration of fibroblasts is formed in mitochondria

Hydrogen peroxide is involved in the regulation of cell migration, although the exact mechanisms of this regulation are still poorly understood. It is still unclear which of the known sources of H2O2 in cells participate in the regulation of the fibroblast migration. In this work the role of mitochondria as one of the main sources of H2O2 was investigated. Sparse culture of spontaneously migrating mouse fibroblasts was used as an experimental model. Addition to the culture medium of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant that completely blocks the action of H2O2, considerably decreased the velocity of cell migration. ρ0-Cells deficient in mitochondrial DNA and therefore lacking functional mitochondrial respiratory chain as a source of H2O2 were insensitive to NAC. Our data demonstrate that mitochondria play the main role as a source of H2O2 regulating cell migration.