In the past few years, the body of experimental work on the structure, function and assembly processes of mitochondria has expanded rapidly. No one person can believe himself or herself completely in control of the burgeoning literature without possessing serious omissions or blind spots. In the present monograph I have attempted a critical evaluation of the literature. I believe that the common thread of single authorship outweighs the shortcomings of one person presenting many disparate viewpo,ints. It is my hope that the end product represents a comprehensive and coordinated review of the subject matter to the present date. Although the bulk of this monograph was completed by October 1974, I have made some attempts to update several of the sections at later times. Albany, N. Y. , November 1975 H. TEDESCHI Contents A. Structure of Mitochondria 1. General Organization . a) Conventional Thin Section Electron Microscopy b) Negative Staining Techniques . 3 c) Freeze-Cleavage . . . . . . . 4 2. Special Organization and Inclusions 10 a) Prismatic or Atypical Cristae 10 b) Filaments and Tubules . . 11 c) Amorphous Inclusions 12 d) Intramitochondrial Granules 12 e) DNA Containing Fibers 14 3. Topography of the Mitochondrial Transducing Systems 15 B. The Assembly of Mitochondria 18 1. Mitochondrial DNA and Its Genetic Role 19 2. Transcription of the Mitochondrial DNA . 28 a) mRNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 b) The Machinery for Transcription and Translation 32 c) Turnover of Mitochondrial RNA 36 3. Protein Synthesis . . . . . . . . 37 a) Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis and Its Characteristics 37 b) Role of Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis . .

Mitochondria in Higher Plants: Structure, Function, and Biogenesis is a collection and interpretation of information on plant mitochondria. It explains not only the basic enzymology of ATP synthesis coupled to electron transport that seems to constitute the major activity of the mitochondria, but also many other aspects that make plant mitochondria rather more diverse than their animal counterparts. Organized into five chapters, this book begins with the morphological and cytological observations on mitochondria, and proceeding through membrane and matrix functions to participation in metabolism and biogenesis. Each section presents the unique properties of plant mitochondria within the framework of general mitochondrial structure and function. This book is intended not only for research workers and students interested in the enzymology of plant mitochondria respiration, but also for graduate and undergraduate students in the field of plant biochemistry, cell physiology, and molecular biology. It will be useful as a starting point for those students wishing to pursue special studies in this field.

Mitochondria in plants, as in other eukaryotes, play an essential role in the cell as the major producers of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. However, mitochondria also play crucial roles in many other aspects of plant development and performance, and possess an array of unique properties which allow them to interact with the specialized features of plant cell metabolism. The two main themes running through the book are the interconnection between gene regulation and protein function, and the integration of mitochondria with other components of plant cells. The book begins with an overview of the dynamics of mitochondrial structure, morphology and inheritance. It then discusses the biogenesis of mitochondria, the regulation of gene expression, the mitochondrial genome and its interaction with the nucleus, and the targeting of proteins to the organelle. This is followed by a discussion of the contributions that mutations, involving mitochondrial proteins, have made to our understanding of the way the organelle interacts with the rest of the plant cell, and the new field of proteomics and the discovery of new functions. Also covered are the pathways of electron transport, with special attention to the non-phosphorylating bypasses, metabolite transport, and specialized mitochondrial metabolism. In the end, the impact of oxidative stress on mitochondria and the defense mechanisms, that are employed to allow survival, are discussed. This book is for the use of advanced undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and beginning researchers in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, integrative biology, biochemistry, bioenergetics, proteomics and plant and agricultural sciences.

This title employs biochemical, cell biological, and genetic approaches to study mitochondrial structure, function, and biogenesis. Also of interest are the consequences of impaired mitochondrial function on cells, tissues, and organs. The book is full of step-by-step "how to" methods with sample results, interpretations, and pitfalls. There is a unique set of appendices that include gene catalogs, mtDNA maps, and reagents for probing respiratory chain function. Finally, there are applications of state-of-the art microarray and gene chip technologies. Isolation of mitochondria from commonly used cells and tissues Assays for mitochondrial activities, including respiration, ATP production, permeability, protein import, and interactions with the cytoskeleton Biochemical and optical methods for studying protein-protein interactions in mitochondria Approaches to studying mitochondrial replication, transcription, and translation Transmitochondrial technologies Methods in microassay data analysis

Mitochondrial biology reinvented itself and became a new world that has attracted new scientists influencing every field of biomedical research. Mitochondrial research is growing and changing, as reflected by the exponential rise in the number of conferences covering mitochondrial biology and the role of mitochondria in diseases ranging from neurodegenerative diseases,metabolic diseases and genetic muscular dystrophies toimmunopathologies and cancer. As the awareness of the essential role of mitochondria in pathology rose, a demand for new approaches to measure mitochondrial function resulted in the robust development of new forms of microscopy and spectroscopy that opened windows into previously unknown aspects of mitochondrial biology. Two Conferences provided an outstanding representation of this state of affairs, the Gordon Research Conference Mitochondrial Dynamics and Signaling (Ventura, California March 17-22, 2019) and the FASEB Conference Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Dynamics in Health and Disease (Palm Springs, California May 19-24, 2019). These conferences well reflected the explosion of the field of mitochondrial communication within the cell, between cells and across organs, as well as the budding of a new field on the definition of individual mitochondria and the identification of subtypes with diverse structural features that may serve different specific functions. Through our participation in these meetings, we conceived the idea to cover some of these topics in the Research Topic “Mitochondria in Health and Disease” of Frontiers in Physiology - Mitochondrial Research Specialty Section. Fitting the tradition of Frontiers, our contributors have generated a platform incuding both solid data and new concepts, as radical and courageous as they can be. We are pleased with the outcome and we hope that our readers will share our enthusiasm.