Mitochondrial isolation: when size matters

Alexander G Bury; Amy E Vincent; Doug M Turnbull; Paolo Actis; Gavin Hudson

doi:10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16300.2

Mitochondrial isolation: when size matters

Wellcome Open Res. 2020 Dec 2:5:226. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16300.2. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Alexander G Bury^{1

2

3}, Amy E Vincent^{1

4}, Doug M Turnbull^{1

4}, Paolo Actis³, Gavin Hudson^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
² Biosciences Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
³ Pollard Institute, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
⁴ Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.

Abstract

Mitochondrial vitality is critical to cellular function, with mitochondrial dysfunction linked to a growing number of human diseases. Tissue and cellular heterogeneity, in terms of genetics, dynamics and function means that increasingly mitochondrial research is conducted at the single cell level. Whilst there are several technologies that are currently available for single-cell analysis, each with their advantages, they cannot be easily adapted to study mitochondria with subcellular resolution. Here we review the current techniques and strategies for mitochondrial isolation, critically discussing each technology's limitations for future mitochondrial research. Finally, we highlight and discuss the recent breakthroughs in sub-cellular isolation techniques, with a particular focus on nanotechnologies that enable the isolation of mitochondria from subcellular compartments. This allows isolation of mitochondria with unprecedented spatial precision with minimal disruption to mitochondria and their immediate cellular environment.

Keywords: Mitochondria; heterogeneity; mitochondrial isolation; mtDNA; nanobiopsy; nanoprobes; nanotweezers.; subcellular.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Wellcome Turst through a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship to AV [215888, https://doi.org/10.35802/215888] and a Wellcome Trust Centre grant to the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research [203105]. This work was also supported by the Medical Research Council [OSR/0200/2018/BURY] and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research [ID-15643].