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Mitochondria: A Covert Chronic Infection Masquerading as a Symbiotic Partner?

George B Stefano1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 12000 Prague, Czech Republic.

Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition)
|July 4, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Mitochondria, originating from bacteria, are viewed as symbionts. This perspective reframes them as a successful, long-term chronic infection uniquely adapted within eukaryotic hosts.

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Mitochondria originated from an ancestral aerobic alpha-proteobacterium.
  • Numerous parallels exist between mitochondria and facultative pathogenic bacteria.
  • Mitochondria are commonly termed "symbionts" in eukaryotic cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore mitochondrial structure and function.
  • To re-evaluate the role of mitochondria within host cells.
  • To consider mitochondria as a model for chronic bacterial infection.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of mitochondrial and bacterial characteristics.
  • Review of existing literature on mitochondrial biology and host-pathogen interactions.
  • Conceptual framework development based on infection biology.

Main Results:

  • Mitochondria exhibit unique adaptations for survival within eukaryotic hosts.
  • The "chronic infection" model offers new insights into mitochondrial function.
  • This perspective highlights the long-term evolutionary success of this intracellular relationship.

Conclusions:

  • Reframing mitochondria as a chronic infection provides a novel lens for understanding their biology.
  • This viewpoint may illuminate host-pathogen interactions and cellular adaptation.
  • Further research can explore the implications of this "infection" model for mitochondrial and cellular health.
Keywords:
chronic infectioneukaryotic cellevolutionmitochondriasymbiosis

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