The Potential for Using the Mechanism of Hypoxic Adaptation in Lower Eukaryotes

Abstract This analytical review considers the main elements of mitochondrial restructuring that occurs in eukaryotes forced to live in hypoxic conditions for a long time. In these organisms, mitochondria retain their activity, not only synthetic and signaling, but also bioenergetic, albeit to a lesser extent. The reorganization, primarily accompanied by the reversal of the succinate dehydrogenase reaction and the presence of low-potential quinone, allows organisms to obtain energy exclusively from complex I in mitochondria. A comprehensive review of all changes caused by constant exposure to hypoxic conditions allows us to develop an anti-hypoxic strategy that eliminates the influence of undesirable factors associated with hypoxic changes. On the other hand, understanding all elements of hypoxia-induced changes makes it possible to use them in combating solid tumor cells that live in the oxygen-deprived microenvironment.