Comparative characteristic of mitochondria ultrastructural organization in Chlorella cells under altered gravity...

Results from experiments that used cells from the unicellular alga Chlorella vulgaris (strain Larg-1) grown on a clinostat, demonstrated the occurrence of rearrangements in cellular organelles, including changes in the mitochondrial ultrastructure compared to controls. Changes in mitochondrial structure were observed in auto- and heterotrophic regimes of cells grown in altered gravity conditions, especially in long-term experiments. The mitochondrial rearrangements become apparent during cell proliferation, which resulted in an increase in the relative volume of mitochondria per cell: up to 2.7 +/- 0.3% in short-term clino-rotation (2.2 +/- 0.1% in the control) and up to 5.3 +/- 0.4% and 5.1 +/- 0.4% in long-term clinorotation (2.3 +/- 0.2% in the control). The size of the mitochondria and their cristae increased in cells grown under long-time clinorotation. In addition, hypertrophied organelles, not typical for this strain, were observed. These changes in the cells were accompanied by increased electron density of the matrix and a well-ordered topography of the cristae. To examine the separation of oxidative phosphorylation and respiration, an inhibitory agent 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) was applied to cells which resulted in insignificant volume changes of the mitochondria (2.5 +/- 0.4% versus 2.1 +/- 0.2% in the control). The increase of mitochondrial size with regularly arranged cristae, with more condensed matrix and extension of cristae areas of clino-rotated cells, may demonstrate higher functional activity of the mitochondria under altered gravity conditions. Changes observed early in clinorotated cells, in particular the increased level of respiration, adenylate content (especially ATP) and more intensive electron-cytochemical reactions of Mg2(+)-ATPase and succinate [correction of succinat] dehydrogenase (SDH) in mitochondria (including hypertrophic organelles), also suggest increased activity of mitochondria from cells grown under altered gravity conditions compared to controls.