Uncoupled mitochondria quickly shorten along their long axis to form indented spheroids, instead of rings, in a fission-independent manner

Y Miyazono, S Hirashima, N Ishihara, J Kusukawa… - Scientific reports, 2018 - nature.com
Y Miyazono, S Hirashima, N Ishihara, J Kusukawa, K Nakamura, K Ohta
Scientific reports, 2018nature.com
Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) triggers dramatic structural changes in
mitochondria from a tubular to globular shape, referred to as mitochondrial fragmentation;
the resulting globular mitochondria are called swelled or ring/doughnut mitochondria. We
evaluated the early period of structural changes during the ΔΨm loss-induced
transformation after carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazine (CCCP) administration
using a newly developed correlative microscopic method combined with fluorescence …
Abstract
Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) triggers dramatic structural changes in mitochondria from a tubular to globular shape, referred to as mitochondrial fragmentation; the resulting globular mitochondria are called swelled or ring/doughnut mitochondria. We evaluated the early period of structural changes during the ΔΨm loss-induced transformation after carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazine (CCCP) administration using a newly developed correlative microscopic method combined with fluorescence microscopic live imaging and volume electron microscopy. We found that most mitochondria changed from a tubular shape to a globular shape without fusion or fission and typically showed ring shapes within 10 min after CCCP exposure. In contrast, most ring mitochondria did not have a true through hole; rather, they had various indents, and 47% showed stomatocyte shapes with vase-shaped cavities, which is the most stable physical structure without any structural support if the long tubular shape shortens into a sphere. Our results suggested that loss of ΔΨm triggered collapse of mitochondrial structural support mechanisms.
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