A mitochondrial perspective on cell death
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Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Understanding the Changes in Mitochondrial Morphology through Dynamic and Three-dimensional Fluorescence Micrographs
Published on: August 15, 2025
P Bernardi1, V Petronilli, F Di Lisa
1Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Viale Giuseppe Colombo 3, I-35121, Padova, Italy. bernardi@civ.bio.unipd.it
Abstract:
The role of mitochondria as crucial participants in cell death programs is well established, yet the mechanisms responsible for the release of mitochondrial activators and the role of BCL2 family proteins in this process remain controversial. Here, we point out the limitations of current approaches used to monitor the physiological responses of mitochondria during cell death, the implications arising from modern views of mitochondrial structure, and briefly assess two proposed mechanisms for the release of mitochondrial proteins during apoptosis.
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