High‐level mitochondriology at high altitude

The meeting was held at the Paul Langevin Conference Centre in Aussois, France, May 20–23, 2001, and was organized by Monique Bolotin‐Fukuhara, Les Grivell and Howy Jacobs.![][1] Mitochondria are ubiquitous organelles that, apart from a few notable exceptions (amitochondriate protists), are present in virtually all eukaryotic cells. Although we know that they contain their own genome, they house key enzymatic components for oxidative metabolism and the production of ATP and they harbour factors central for regulating apoptosis, we remain largely ignorant of many fundamental issues governing mitochondrial function and homeostasis. For example, to what extent is mitochondrial morphology linked to the biochemical functions of the organelle, how is the shape of mitochondria regulated, what molecular mechanisms mediate transmission of mitochondria during cell division, what is the contribution of mitochondria to apoptosis, how is nuclear and mitochondrial gene expression co‐ordinated to guarantee cellular homeostasis, and are there any other crucial functions that are performed within the organelle? These and many other important questions formed the bedrock of a recent EMBO workshop on mitochondrial (dys‐)function held in the impressive Alpine venue of the Paul Langevin Conference Centre in Aussois, France. The authors have chosen a selection of the presentations to reflect the scientific flavour of the workshop.### Mitochondria—the shape of things to comeTechnical innovations in light and electron microscopy are being used to re‐evaluate our understanding of mitochondrial structure. Using cryo‐electron tomography (C. Mannella, Albany, NY) and 4Pi‐confocal microscopy (a fluorescence technique for improving axial resolution by physical means; S. Jakobs, Gottingen, Germany), mitochondria in yeast and mammals are being visualized with impressive resolution in three dimensions. Although these techniques have only recently been applied to mitochondrial imaging, electron tomography in particular has already generated some remarkable and challenging data. Based on two‐dimensional studies of electron micrographs, it had been accepted for many years that the structures … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif