Mitochondria are highly dynamic cellular organelles, with the ability to change size, shape and position over the course of a few seconds. Many of these changes are related to the ability of mitochondria to undergo the highly co-ordinated processes of fission (division of a single organelle into two or more independent structures) or fusion (the opposing reaction). These actions occur simultaneously and continuously in many cell types, and the balance between them regulates the overall morphology of mitochondria within any given cell. Fission and fusion are active processes which require many specialized proteins, including mechanical enzymes that physically alter mitochondrial membranes, and adaptor proteins that regulate the interaction of these mechanical proteins with organelles. Although not fully understood, alterations in mitochondrial morphology appear to be involved in several activities that are crucial to the health of cells. In the present chapter we discuss the mechanisms behind mitochondrial fission and fusion, and discuss the implications of changes in organelle morphology during the life of a cell.
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June 2010
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June 14 2010
Mitochondrial fission and fusion Available to Purchase
Iain Scott;
Iain Scott
*National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, U.S.A.
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Richard J. Youle
Richard J. Youle
1
†National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, U.S.A.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed ([email protected]).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Online ISSN: 1744-1358
Print ISSN: 0071-1365
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 Biochemical Society
2010
Essays Biochem (2010) 47: 85–98.
Citation
Guy C. Brown, Michael P. Murphy, Iain Scott, Richard J. Youle; Mitochondrial fission and fusion. Essays Biochem 14 June 2010; 47 85–98. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bse0470085
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