title: Monitoring mitochondrial membranes permeability in live neurons and mitochondrial swelling through electron microscopy analysis.
abstract: Maintenance of mitochondrial membrane integrity is essential for mitochondrial function and neuronal viability. Apoptotic stimulus or calcium overload leads to mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP ) opening and induces mitochondrial swelling, a common feature of mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. The first phenomenon can be evaluated in cells loaded with the dye calcein -AM quenched by cobalt, and mitochondrial swelling can be detected by electron microscopy through the analysis of mitochondrial membrane integrity. Here, we describe a live cell imaging assay to detect mitochondrial permeability transition and the development of a detailed analysis of morphological and ultrastructural changes that mitochondria undergo during this process.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Macarena S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Arrázola
authors.forename: Nibaldo C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Inestrosa
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D008933:Mitochondrial Swelling; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010539:Permeability
chemical_list: D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D002118:Calcium