Physiological functions of mitochondrial fusion

Emerging functions of mammalian mitochondrial fusion and fission.

Mitochondria provide a myriad of services to the cell, including energy production, calcium buffering and regulation of apoptosis. How these diverse functions are coordinated among the hundreds of mitochondria in a given cell is largely unknown, but is probably dependent on the dynamic nature of mitochondria. In this review, we explore the latest developments in mitochondrial dynamics in mammal...

Mitochondria: starving to reach quorum?: Insight into the physiological purpose of mitochondrial fusion.

Why might mitochondria fuse? Mammalian mitochondria continuously undergo fusion in vivo, a process accomplished by an elaborate machinery of energy-dependant GTPase proteins. These proteins are extensively post-translationally regulated and the fusion process involves actively merging both inner and outer mitochondrial membranes to shape extensive networks. Executing this energetically costly p...

Mitochondrial fission and fusion.

Mitochondria are highly dynamic cellular organelles, with the ability to change size, shape and position over the course of a few seconds. Many of these changes are related to the ability of mitochondria to undergo the highly co-ordinated processes of fission (division of a single organelle into two or more independent structures) or fusion (the opposing reaction). These actions occur simultane...

Glutamine’s Physiological Functions

From the perspective of nutritional science, glutamine, like arginine, is not an essential amino acid. Nevertheless, glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. Glutamine plays major roles in accelerating muscle metabolism, in preserving muscle, in promoting wound healing and in cell proliferation. It also serves as the nutritional source for gastrointestinal cells and as the major e...

Genetic Evaluation of Physiological Functions