中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2026, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (8): 3555-3556.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-25-00708

• 观点:退行性病与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

单细胞水平上线粒体的稳态与衰竭

  

  • 出版日期:2026-08-18 发布日期:2026-04-25

Homeostasis and failure of mitochondria on the single-cell level

Kristina Friedland, Kristina Endres*   

  1. Institute for Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Research, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany (Friedland K)
    University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Campus Zweibrücken, Zweibrücken, Germany (Endres K)
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany (Endres K)
  • Online:2026-08-18 Published:2026-04-25
  • Contact: Kristina Endres, PhD, Kristina.endres@hs-kl.de.

摘要: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1099-8287 (Kristina Endres)

Abstract: Mitochondria are the central organelles that allow eukaryotic cells to efficiently convert nutrients into energy for cellular functions such as anabolic reactions, movement, and regulation. A reduction in the number of mitochondria or the occurrence of dysfunctional mitochondria leads to serious diseases such as the Leigh syndrome. However, such changes have also been connected to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and many more diseases of different organ systems and occur during the aging process. Mitochondria are, therefore, the linchpin for the homeostasis of individual cells but also lay the foundation for a healthy, functional organism as a whole. Tissues and organs that consume a lot of energy show a loss of function early on if the mitochondria fail. This includes the brain, but also other organs such as the heart or the intestines, which have to provide high performance or are subject to permanent renewal. The importance of mitochondria for the integrity of neurons of the brain may become clear when looking at the almost altruistic behavior of microglia: a transfer of mitochondria into neurons was observed, for example, when neurons were exposed to α-synuclein or tau, hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease or AD (Scheiblich et al., 2024). By establishing tunneling nanotubes, healthy microglia donated the organelles to affected neurons and rescued them by reducing reactive oxidative species. Mitochondria comprise highly dynamic organelles that adjust their shape, location, and number by processes such as fusion and fission. Thus, local events such as noxae might imprint fast on them to serve actual cellular demands. In this perspective, we will focus on recent research regarding mitochondrial failure in AD and on how novel techniques that allow spatial resolution in analyzing these organelles contribute to widening the knowledge in this regard.