Stochastically determined directed movement explains the dominant small-scale mitochondrial movements within non-neuronal tissue culture cells

Saunter, Christopher D.; Perng, Ming Der; Love, Gordon D.; Quinlan, Roy A.

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2009.02.041

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Volume 583, Issue 8 , Pages 1267-1273, 17 April 2009

Stochastically determined directed movement explains the dominant small-scale mitochondrial movements within non-neuronal tissue culture cells

Edited by Berend Wieringa

Christopher D. Saunter
- Biophysical Sciences Institute, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Department of Physics, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
Ming Der Perng
- Biophysical Sciences Institute, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- School of Biological and Biophysical Sciences, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
Gordon D. Love
- Biophysical Sciences Institute, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Department of Physics, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Corresponding authors. Address: Biophysical Sciences Institute, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK. Fax: +44 1913341201.
Roy A. Quinlan
- Biophysical Sciences Institute, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- School of Biological and Biophysical Sciences, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Corresponding authors. Address: Biophysical Sciences Institute, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK. Fax: +44 1913341201.

Received 17 December 2008; received in revised form 13 February 2009; accepted 26 February 2009. published online 03 March 2009.

Abstract

The apparently stationary phase of mitochondrial motion was investigated in epithelial cells by spinning disk confocal light microscopy combined with image correlation based single particle tracking using custom software producing sub-pixel accuracy measurements (∼5nm) at 10–12Hz frame-rates. The analysis of these data suggests that the previously described stationary, or anchored phase, in mitochondrial movement actually comprise Brownian diffusion, interspersed with frequent and brief motor-driven events whose duration are stochastically determined. We have therefore discovered a new aspect of mitochondrial behavior, which we call stochastically determined, directed movement.