Cell Stem Cell: The essential role of shape-changing mitochondria in stem cell function

Mitochondria are shape-changing organelles that have long been considered the powerhouse within our cells

Now, a striking new study from the laboratory of Dr.

The study, published in the print edition of the peer-reviewed journal Cell Stem Cell, found that the shape-shifting mitochondria that elongate and divide actually regulate the dormant state of adult muscle stem cells

The new finding could be an important one because adult muscle stem cells -- which normally exist in a dormant state, known as "dormancy" -- are critical for tissue stability

Essentially, her lab proposes an extensive mitochondrial system

Dr Harjo's team say the findings show for the first time that the protein opa1 - one of the master regulators of mitochondrial fusion - is critical for the maintenance and function of muscle stem cells

"This paper combines uncovering a physiological mechanism and then using it to explain what can go wrong during disease and aging," said Harjo, assistant professor of biochemistry, microbiology and immunology at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in Mitochondrial Dynamics and Regenerative Medicine.

What this tiny structure does is a bit counterintuitive

"Disruption of mitochondria may be the reason why we lose stem cells in disease and aging," said Dr.

The team's insights are sure to be of great interest to scientists studying a range of muscle-related degenerative diseases, as well as muscle weakness and atrophy during aging

This is important because muscle degeneration is the leading cause of disability worldwide

article title

The mitochondrial protein OPA1 regulates the quiescent state??of adult muscle stem cells