What does Mitochondrial Morphology Tell about Fusion and Fission?
The fluidity and dynamic properties of intramitochondrial membranes, especially mitochondrial cristae, were first suggested by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and this technique has continued to reveal new insights into cristae remodeling.22 In addition, even before more advanced techniques, TEM and phase contrast microscopy revealed multiple mitochondrial morphologies, and dynamic changes in morphology and structure, suggesting direct division and fusion of individual mitochondrial organelles (reviewed in Bereiter-Hahn and Voth23). Recent advancements in live cell imaging and high throughput strategies have rapidly advanced our appreciation for the importance of mitochondrial dynamics in cell death and survival; yet, relatively little is known about the molecular details, and much less is known about how these dynamic processes interface with mitochondrial energetics.The fzo (fuzzy onions) gene is a fusion mediator that was first identified in Drosophila where loss-of-function
