To test whether the area covered by a single pHmito elevation varied with mitochondria interconnectivity, we enforced mitochondrial shape changes by overexpressing mitochondrial-shaping proteins.
More recently, mutations in the genes coding for mitochondria-shaping proteins have been associated with some genetic neurodegenerative diseases, implicating mitochondrial shape regulation in the health of neurons (Chan, 2007).
The relationship between changes in mitochondrial shape and physiological parameters, particularly mitochondrial Ca2+, has therefore a great potential for translational research.
The association with the cytoskeleton determines mitochondrial shape, which can affect the function as well.
We next examined the effect of CTMP deletion on mitochondrial shape at the whole organism level.
Combined, these results strongly suggest that the modulation of CTMP protein levels and maturation affect mitochondrial shape.
Although we did not assess ultrastructural changes morphometrically in the present study, the qualitative evidence of enhanced branching patterns in the affected animal is compatible with the contention that the reported mutation had an effect on mitochondrial shape.
We show that loss of DJ-1 caused impaired mitochondrial respiration, increased intramitochondrial reactive oxygen species, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and characteristic alterations of mitochondrial shape as shown by quantitative morphology.
The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bcl-xL and the antagonist BH3 only proteins Bak/Bax were shown to regulate mitochondrial shape in healthy cells as well as in cells undergoing apoptosis [13], [14].
Images of grp75 immunostained cells were collected on the same day with the same settings, and were then analyzed to quantify mitochondrial shape using ImageJ software (v1.44k for Macintosh; http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/).
In response to light, the reactive oxygen species burst was concomitant with the drop of mitochondrial transmembrane electric potential, the dramatic changes of mitochondrial shape and the loss of integrity of mitochondria and lysosomes.
