A replicating module as the unit of mitochondrial structure and functioning

Roderick A. Capaldi, Robert Aggeler, Robert Gilkerson, George Hanson, Michelle Knowles, Andrew Marcus, Daciana Margineantu, Michael Marusich, James Murray, Devin Oglesbee, S. James Remington, Rodrigue Rossignol

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

The mitochondrion within human cells in tissue culture is pleomorphic and highly dynamic. The organelle mass can exist as thousands of small ovoids or as one continuous reticulum. In either state, the mitochondrial mass is in constant thermal motion, as well as moving in ≃0.8-μm jumps that are determined by, and related to, attachments with cytoskeletal elements. Many protein complexes, such as the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex and DNA containing nucleoids, are dispersed through the mass and as though fixed by attachments to membranes, such that they can become distributed to all of the individual small ovoid mitochondria when the reticulum becomes fragmented. This leads us to propose that a replicating module is the repeating unit of mitochondrial structure. Studies to examine heterogeneity of functioning within the organelle mass are briefly reviewed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)192-195
Number of pages4
JournalBiochimica et Biophysica Acta - Bioenergetics
Volume1555
Issue number1-3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 10 2002

Keywords

  • Mitochondrion
  • Replicating module
  • Structure-function relationship

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology

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