Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8399116 | Mitochondrion | 2016 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that change their architecture in normal physiological conditions. Mutations in genes that control mitochondrial fission or fusion, such as dynamin-related protein (Drp1), Mitofusins 1 (Mfn1) and 2 (Mfn2), and Optic atrophy 1 (Opa1), result in neuropathies or neurodegenerative diseases. It is increasingly clear that altered mitochondrial dynamics also underlie the pathology of other degenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Thus, understanding mitochondrial distribution, shape, and dynamics in all cell types is a prerequisite for developing and defining treatment regimens that may differentially affect tissues. The majority of Drosophila genes implicated in mitochondrial dynamics have been studied in the adult indirect flight muscle (IFM). Here, we discuss the utility of Drosophila third instar larvae (L3) as an alternative model to analyze and quantify mitochondrial behaviors. Advantages include large muscle cell size, a stereotyped arrangement of mitochondria that is conserved in mammalian muscles, and the ability to analyze muscle-specific gene function in mutants that are lethal prior to adult stages. In particular, we highlight methods for sample preparation and analysis of mitochondrial morphological features.
Keywords
Drp1intermyofibrillarSchneider 2 cellsCMT2AOMMafter egg layingAELMFN2IFMConAMfn1PINK1ΔΨmLRRK23-DConcanavalin AGFP3-dimensionalMitochondrial DNAopa1optic atrophy 1Dominant optic atrophyAdenosine TriphosphateATPimmTemParkinson's diseaseleucine-rich repeat kinase 2inner mitochondrial membraneDOAmtDNASubsarcolemmalIMFIndirect flight muscleouter mitochondrial membraneDrosophilamitofusin 1mitofusin 2MitochondriaTransmission electron microscopyMitochondrial membrane potentialgreen fluorescent proteinDynamin-related protein
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Authors
Zong-Heng Wang, Cheryl Clark, Erika R. Geisbrecht,