Mitochondria are essential organelles that execute and coordinate various metabolic processes in the cell. Mitochondrial dysfunction severely affects cell fitness contributes to disease. Proper organellar function depends on biogenesis maintenance of mitochondria its >1,000 proteins. As a result, has evolved mechanisms protein quality control, such as turnover proteins via mitochondria-associat...

The Oenothera mitochondrial genome contains only a gene fragment for ribosomal protein S12 (rps12), while other plants encode a functional gene in the mitochondrion. The complete Oenothera rps12 gene is located in the nucleus. The transit sequence necessary to target this protein to the mitochondrion is encoded by a 5'-extension of the open reading frame. Comparison of the amino acid sequence e...

Rapid emergence of resistance to atovaquone, which targets electron transport in the malaria parasite mitochondrion, relegated its use to prophylaxis and even cast a shadow over the development of drugs targeting other parasite mitochondrial pathways. Here we argue for a renewed focus on the mitochondrion as a drug target, focusing particularly on the issues of resistance. We posit a hypothesis...

Depolarization of an individual mitochondrion or small clusters of mitochondria within cells has been achieved using a photoactivatable probe. The probe is targeted to the matrix of the mitochondrion by an alkyltriphenylphosphonium lipophilic cation and releases the protonophore 2,4-dinitrophenol locally in predetermined regions in response to directed irradiation with UV light via a local phot...

The unitary nature of the chondriome of two species of trypanosomatids, Blastocrithidia culicis and Trypanosoma cruzi, has been demonstrated by utilizing serial thick-sectioning techniques combined with high voltage electron microscopy. Profiles of mitochondrial elements seen in thin sections and suspected to be parts of a continuum were confirmed by serial thick sectioning (0.25-0.50 mum thick...

All of the mitochondrial tRNAs of Trypanosoma brucei have been shown to be encoded in the nucleus and must be imported into the mitochondrion. The import of nuclearly encoded tRNAs into the mitochondrion has been demonstrated in a variety of organisms and is essential for proper function in the mitochondrion. An in vitro import assay has been developed to study the pathway of tRNA import in T. ...

Studies in various types of cells find that, on average, each mitochondrion becomes involved in a fusion event every 15 min, depending on the cell type. As most contact events do not result in mitochondrial fusion, it is expected that properties of the individual mitochondrion determine the likelihood of a fusion event. However, apart from membrane potential, the properties that influence the l...

Live cell imaging of human malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum during gametocytogenesis revealed that the apicoplast does not grow, whereas the mitochondrion undergoes remarkable morphological development. A close connection of the two organelles is consistently maintained. The apicoplast and mitochondrion are not components of the male gametes, suggesting maternal inheritance.