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Updated: Sep 6, 2025
Isolation and Functional Analysis of Mitochondria from Cultured Cells and Mouse Tissue
Published on: March 23, 2015
Monitoring Mitochondrial Perturbations During Infection
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA.
Abstract:
Mitochondria are pivotal organelles in the cell that regulate a myriad of cellular functions, which eventually govern cellular physiology and homeostasis. Intriguingly, microbial infection is known to trigger morphological and functional alterations of mitochondria. In fact, a number of bacteria and viruses have been reported to hijack mitochondrial functions including cell death induction and regulation of immune signaling to evade detection, promote their intracellular growth and subsequent dissemination. Here we describe methodologies that can be applied to assess mitochondrial functions upon infection. More specifically, we outline experimental procedures used to evaluate different parameters including mitochondrial morphology, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and mitophagy. Together these parameters can help gauge the overall health of mitochondria upon infection.
Insights
Microbial infections alter mitochondria, impacting cellular health. This study details methods to assess mitochondrial morphology, ATP, ROS, and mitophagy during infection to understand these crucial cellular changes.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Mitochondria are vital organelles regulating cellular homeostasis.
- Microbial pathogens can manipulate mitochondrial functions to promote infection.
- Understanding these interactions is key to combating infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe methodologies for assessing mitochondrial health during microbial infection.
- To provide experimental procedures for evaluating key mitochondrial parameters.
Main Methods:
- Assessing mitochondrial morphology via microscopy.
- Quantifying adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels.
- Measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
- Evaluating mitophagy levels.
Main Results:
- Established protocols for analyzing mitochondrial function post-infection.
- Demonstrated how to measure specific indicators of mitochondrial stress and damage.
- Provided a framework for understanding pathogen-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- The described methodologies enable comprehensive assessment of mitochondrial status during infection.
- Evaluating mitochondrial morphology, ATP, ROS, and mitophagy offers insights into cellular defense and pathogen evasion strategies.
- These methods are crucial for understanding host-pathogen interactions and developing therapeutic interventions.
