Mitochondrial Function: From Physiology to Pathology

Dear Colleagues,

More than one billion years ago, a single-celled organism closely related to the clade of Asgard archeans engulfed an alpha-proteobacterium, finally resulting in the domestication of the endosymbiont as a new organelle. This event represents the advent of the eukaryotic domain of life, which ultimately spawned multi-cellular organisms including human beings. Mitochondria, the domesticated offspring of the enslaved proteobacterium, play an essential role in energy provision via ATP production, but also in the regulation of life/death decisions, execution of apoptosis, metabolism of macromolecules, and immune responses. Due to their contribution to a plethora of vital cellular events, mitochondrial function, dynamics, and quality control are tightly linked to human diseases such as neurodegeneration, metabolic diseases, and cancer, as well as the aging process.     

On the occasion of this Special Issue of Cells, I invite you to submit review articles, comments, and research articles on the general topic of ‘Mitochondrial Function: From Physiology to Pathology’. In addition, mixed formats (e.g. review articles supplemented with own data) are highly welcome. Relevant topics may encompass (but are not limited to) the following:

• Mechanisms of mitochondrial bioenergetics;
• Mitochondrial metabolism;
• Evolutionary aspects of mitochondria genesis;
• Mitochondrial homeostasis and organelle turnover;
• Link between mitochondria and human diseases;
• Role of mitochondrial function and dynamics in neurodegeneration, cancer, and metabolic diseases;
• Mitochondria, oxidative stress, and aging;
• Clinical relevance of mitochondria biology;
• Mitochondria as targets of therapeutic approaches;
• Organelle-specific genome editing.

Early stage researchers are especially invited to share their data and opinions. Moreover, if we jointly manage to publish more than 10 papers, this Special Issue may be published in printed book format.

I am looking forward to your ideas and contributions.

Dr. Andreas Till
Guest Editor

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• mitochondria
• organelle homeostasis
• mitochondrial diseases
• oxidative phosphorylation
• electron transport chain
• ROS
• mitophagy
• aging