[2 pools of mitochondria in a single mechanoreceptor neuron]

The microspectrofluorimetric technique was applied to measure the intracellular ratio of oxidized flavoproteins and NADH in isolated neuron preparation from the stretch receptor organ of the crayfish Astacus leptodactilus. Two pools of mitochondria were detected differing from each other in their functional activity in the single cell at the same time. The mitochondria of the pool are localized near the nucleus, those of the other one being placed along the cell membrane. Physiological treatments (stretch, calcium deficient media) produce different changes in the activity of mitochondria belonging to the different pools. It is suggested that these pools of mitochondria furnish with energy different functional mechanisms within the same cell.