Mitochondrial Signal Transduction
24th June 2024
The analogy of mitochondria as powerhouses has expired. Mitochondria are living, dynamic, maternally in- herited, energy-transforming, biosynthetic, and signaling organelles that actively transduce biological infor- mation. We argue that mitochondria are the processor of the cell, and together with the nucleus and other organelles they constitute the mitochondrial information processing system (MIPS). In a three-step process, mitochondria (1) sense and respond to both endogenous and environmental inputs through morphological and functional remodeling; (2) integrate information through dynamic, network-based physical interactions and diffusion mechanisms; and (3) produce output signals that tune the functions of other organelles and sys- temically regulate physiology. This input-to-output transformation allows mitochondria to transduce meta- bolic, biochemical, neuroendocrine, and other local or systemic signals that enhance organismal adaptation. An explicit focus on mitochondrial signal transduction emphasizes the role of communication in mitochon- drial biology. This framework also opens new avenues to understand how mitochondria mediate inter-organ processes underlying human health.