Changes of mitochondrial ultrastructure and function during ageing in mice and Drosophila
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Germany
Abstract
Ageing is a progressive decline of intrinsic physiological functions. We examined the impact of ageing on the ultrastructure and function of mitochondria in mouse and fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) by electron cryo-tomography and respirometry and discovered distinct age-related changes in both model organisms. Mitochondrial function and ultrastructure are maintained in mouse heart, whereas subpopulations of mitochondria from mouse liver show age-related changes in membrane morphology. Subpopulations of mitochondria from young and old mouse kidney resemble those described for apoptosis. In aged flies, respiratory activity is compromised and the production of peroxide radicals is increased. In about 50% of mitochondria from old flies, the inner membrane organization breaks down. This establishes a clear link between inner membrane architecture and functional decline. Mitochondria were affected by ageing to very different extents, depending on the organism and possibly on the degree to which tissues within the same organism are protected against mitochondrial damage.
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Funding
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- Werner Kühlbrandt
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Werner Kühlbrandt
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Ethics
Animal experimentation: This study was performed in strict accordance with the recommendations and guidelines of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA). The protocol was approved by the Landesamt für Natur, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz in Nordrhein-Westfalen, in Germany (Permit ref: 84-02.05.20.12.086).
Copyright
© 2017, Brandt et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Changes of mitochondrial ultrastructure and function during ageing in mice and Drosophila
eLife 6:e24662.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24662
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