title: Growth and senescence of Medicago truncatula cultured cells are associated with characteristic mitochondrial morphology.
abstract: Here mitochondrial morphology and dynamics were investigated in Medicago truncatula cell-suspension cultures during growth and senescence. Cell biology techniques were used to measure cell growth and death in culture. Mitochondrial morphology was investigated in vivo using a membrane potential sensor probe coupled with confocal microscopy. Expression of a senescence-associated gene (MtSAG) was evaluated in different cell-growth phases. Mitochondria appeared as numerous, punctuate organelles in cells at the beginning of the subculture cycle, while interconnected networks were observed in actively growing cells. In senescent cells, giant mitochondria were associated with dying cells. The release of cytochrome c from mitochondria was detected in different growth phases of cultured cells. Studies on plant cell cultures allowed us to identify physiological and molecular markers of senescence and cell death, and to associate distinct mitochondrial morphology with cells under different physiological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, I-35131 Padova, Italy. mzottini@bio.unipd.it
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zottini
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barizza
authors.forename: Fiorenza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bastianelli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carimi
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lo Schiavo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001593:Benzyl Compounds; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D003583:Cytokinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007701:Kinetin / Q000494:pharmacology; D046913:Medicago truncatula / Q000166:cytology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D011687:Purines
chemical_list: D001593:Benzyl Compounds; D003583:Cytokinins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D011687:Purines; D045304:Cytochromes c; C480551:benzylaminopurine; D007701:Kinetin