Subcellular Specialization of Mitochondrial Form and Function in Skeletal Muscle Cells

T Bradley Willingham; Peter T Ajayi; Brian Glancy

doi:10.3389/fcell.2021.757305

Subcellular Specialization of Mitochondrial Form and Function in Skeletal Muscle Cells

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Oct 15:9:757305. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.757305. eCollection 2021.

Authors

T Bradley Willingham¹, Peter T Ajayi¹, Brian Glancy^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
² National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.

Abstract

Across different cell types and within single cells, mitochondria are heterogeneous in form and function. In skeletal muscle cells, morphologically and functionally distinct subpopulations of mitochondria have been identified, but the mechanisms by which the subcellular specialization of mitochondria contributes to energy homeostasis in working muscles remains unclear. Here, we discuss the current data regarding mitochondrial heterogeneity in skeletal muscle cells and highlight potential new lines of inquiry that have emerged due to advancements in cellular imaging technologies.

Keywords: bioenergetics; intermyofibrillar mitochondria; mitochondrial connectivity; mitochondrial respiration; organelle interactions; paranuclear mitochondria; paravascular mitochondria; subsarcolemmal mitochondria.

Publication types

Review