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Related Experiment Videos

Mitochondria as we don't know them.

Aloysius G M Tielens1, Carmen Rotte, Jaap J van Hellemond

  • 1Dept of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, PO Box 80176, The Netherlands. tielens@biochem.vet.uu.nl

Trends in Biochemical Sciences
|November 6, 2002
PubMed
Summary
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Many mitochondria can generate ATP without oxygen, challenging textbook definitions. These diverse, anaerobic mitochondria utilize unique pathways for energy production and offer insights into organelle evolution.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Mitochondria are traditionally viewed as oxygen-dependent organelles essential for aerobic respiration.
  • This perspective overlooks the existence and function of anaerobic mitochondria in various eukaryotic organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the conventional understanding of mitochondrial function.
  • To highlight the diversity of anaerobic mitochondrial pathways in eukaryotes.
  • To explore the evolutionary implications of non-oxygen-dependent mitochondria.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on mitochondrial biochemistry.
  • Analysis of diverse eukaryotic metabolic pathways.
  • Comparative analysis of electron transport chains in different organisms.

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Main Results:

  • Identification of numerous eukaryotic species possessing mitochondria capable of ATP production without oxygen.
  • Characterization of diverse electron-handling pathways in these anaerobic mitochondria.
  • Demonstration that anaerobic mitochondria utilize proton-pumping electron transport for ATP synthesis.

Conclusions:

  • Mitochondrial function is more diverse than commonly depicted, including significant anaerobic ATP production.
  • Anaerobic mitochondria are widespread across diverse eukaryotic lineages, including protists and metazoans.
  • The study of anaerobic mitochondria provides crucial insights into the evolution of energy metabolism and organelles.