Martin Picard
Abstract:
Quantitative Electron Microscopy Approaches to Investigate Mitochondrial Behavior in Skeletal Muscle
Mitochondria sustain life via energy transformation and intracellular signaling. Mitochondrial functions and their impact on the cell depends upon their position within the cell, their morphology, and membrane ultrastructure. To understand the relationship between mitochondrial shape and function, and the link to human disease, we have used a variety of electron microscopy (EM) approaches including transmission EM, serial block face EM, and EM tomography. In collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Center for Mitochondrial Research and Newcastle Electron Microscopy Research Services, we have developed quantitative methods to measure mitochondrial morphology in two- and three-dimensions in both mouse and human skeletal muscle. Our findings have confirmed that mitochondrial morphology within single cells is highly variable, has revealed novel mitochondrial structures called “mitochondrial nanotunnels” in human muscle, and defined the nature of the mitochondrial network in patients with mitochondrial disease and healthy subjects.
Biography:
Dr. Picard’s interdisciplinary research program investigates mitochondrial signaling from organelle to organism. His group studies the impact of acquired and inherited mitochondrial defects on cellular and physiological responses to stressors, with a focus on structure-function relationships among mitochondria. In collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Center for Mitochondrial Research, they combine light and electron microscopy, and quantitative methods probing mitochondrial structure, function, and behaviour to understand the role of mitochondria in human disease and ageing.
