From Energy Factories to Cellular Command Centers: The Mitochondria Story

It's time to rethink what we know about mitochondria! These tiny organelles are so much more than just the cell's powerhouses. Recent research reveals that mitochondria are dynamic processors, crucial in cellular communication and adaptation. They also play a key role in the integrated stress response (ISR), helping cells adapt to stress by modulating protein synthesis, metabolism, and cellular survival pathways.

Altogether, mitochondria:

• Sense and respond to environmental and endogenous signals through functional and morphological changes.

• Integrate information via dynamic network interactions with other organelles, ensuring efficient cellular responses.

• Signal to adjust cellular and systemic functions, impacting everything from metabolism to overall physiology.
  

Mitochondria interact closely with the endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes to maintain cellular homeostasis. This intricate signaling system influences health and opens new therapeutic avenues for diseases linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. By moving away from the outdated view of mitochondria as mere energy factories, we can uncover their true potential in improving health and treating diseases.

Picard, M. and O.S. Shirihai, Mitochondrial signal transduction. Cell Metabolism, 2022. 34(11): p. 1620-1653.

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