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Defining Mitochondrial Cristae Morphology Changes Induced by Aging in Brown Adipose Tissue
Amber Crabtree1, Kit Neikirk1, Andrea G Marshall1
1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
Advanced Biology
|August 22, 2023
Summary
Aging disrupts brown adipose tissue (BAT) mitochondria structure. Aged BAT mitochondria enlarge and become more complex, while their inner-membrane cristae significantly decrease in volume and complexity.
Area of Science:
- Mitochondrial biology
- Cellular aging
- Adipose tissue metabolism
Background:
- Mitochondria are crucial for energy production and brown adipose tissue (BAT) coloration.
- Mitochondrial inner-membrane cristae structure impacts function and bioenergetics.
- Aging is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupted dynamics, leading to fragmentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related morphological changes in brown adipose tissue (BAT) mitochondria and their cristae.
- To test the hypothesis that aging significantly alters BAT mitochondrial and cristae structure.
Main Methods:
- Developed a quantitative 3D electron microscopy approach using serial block face-scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM).
- Employed 3D reconstruction software for manual segmentation, analysis, and quantification of mitochondrial cristae.
- Examined mitochondrial morphology in adult (3-month) and aged (2-year) murine BAT tissue.
Main Results:
- Aged BAT mitochondria showed increased volume, surface area, and complexity.
- Mitochondrial sphericity decreased in aged BAT.
- Significant reductions in cristae volume, area, perimeter, and cristae score were observed in aged BAT.
Conclusions:
- Aging induces significant morphological alterations in murine brown adipose tissue mitochondria.
- Cristae network organization is negatively impacted by aging in BAT mitochondria.
- These findings define the structural changes in murine BAT mitochondria during aging.
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