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Related Experiment Videos

New light on mitochondrial calcium

P Pinton1, M Brini, C Bastianutto

  • 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy. rizzuto@civ.bio.unipd.it

Biofactors (Oxford, England)
|January 23, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed new tools to track calcium in mitochondria within living cells. This revealed that mitochondria are located near calcium sources, allowing rapid calcium uptake and influencing cell activity.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Mitochondrial Biology
  • Calcium Signaling

Background:

  • Mitochondria play crucial roles in cellular energy production and signaling.
  • Calcium ions (Ca2+) are vital messengers regulating various cellular processes.
  • Understanding Ca2+ dynamics within mitochondria is essential for comprehending cellular function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and utilize novel probes for monitoring mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]m) in living cells.
  • To investigate the mechanisms underlying the rapid rise of [Ca2+]m observed upon physiological stimulation.
  • To explore the spatial relationship between mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as a source of Ca2+.

Main Methods:

  • Engineered aequorin photoproteins targeted to the mitochondrial matrix and intermembrane space (MIMS) to measure Ca2+ levels.

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  • Constructed GFP-based probes to simultaneously visualize mitochondria and ER in living cells.
  • Employed high-speed, high-resolution 3D imaging techniques to analyze organelle interactions.

    • Main Results:

    • Demonstrated a significant increase in mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]m) in various cell types upon stimulation.
    • Confirmed the existence of localized microdomains of high Ca2+ near mitochondria, particularly in the MIMS.
    • Revealed close physical contacts (< 80 nm) between mitochondria and the ER in living cells.

    Conclusions:

    • Mitochondria are strategically positioned near Ca2+ release sites (ER) to facilitate rapid Ca2+ uptake.
    • The observed microdomains of high Ca2+ explain how mitochondria respond to Ca2+ signals despite low-affinity uptake systems.
    • These findings provide a mechanism for tuning mitochondrial activity in response to cellular Ca2+ signals.