Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2021, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (4): 674-675.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.295317

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Mitochondrial integrity in neuronal injury and repair

Qi Han, Xiao-Ming Xu*   

  1. Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute; Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
  • Online:2021-04-15 Published:2020-12-21
  • Contact: Xiao-Ming Xu, MD, PhD, xu26@iupui.edu.
  • Supported by:
    We thank Patti L. Raley for critical reading of the manuscript. 

    This work was supported by NIH 1R01 100531, 1R01 NS103481, and Merit Review Award I01 BX002356, I01 BX003705, I01 RX002687 from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Abstract: The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of a cell. As the principal subcellular organelles that mediate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and calcium buffering, mitochondria actively distribute to areas of high energy demand and calcium flux. The highly polarized nerve cells in the central nervous system (CNS), which have unparalleled size and complexity and long-projection axons, are cells with high-energy requirements. Mitochondria are regionally organized within these neurons, with higher accumulations in the soma, the hillock, the nodes of Ranvier, and the axon terminals. In the synaptic region, mitochondria regulate calcium and ATP levels, thereby maintaining synaptic transmission and structure. Defects in mitochondrial dynamics can cause deficits in neuronal transport, transmission, and metabolism (Misgeld and Schwarz, 2017).