Mitochondria are complex organelles with an outer membrane enveloping a second inner membrane that creates a vast matrix space partitioned by pockets or cristae that join the peripheral inner membrane with several thin junctions. Several micrometres long, mitochondria are generally close to 300 nm in diameter, with membrane layers separated by a few tens of nanometres. Ultrastructural data from electron microscopy revealed the structure of these mitochondria, while conventional optical microscopy revealed their extraordinary dynamics through fusion, fission, and migration processes but its limited resolution power restricted the possibility to go further. By overcoming the limits of light diffraction, Super-Resolution Microscopy (SRM) now offers the potential to establish the links between the ultrastructure and remodelling of mitochondrial membranes, leading to major advances in our understanding of mitochondria’s structure-function. Here we review the contributions of SRM imaging to our understanding of the relationship between mitochondrial structure and function. What are the hopes for these new imaging approaches which are particularly important for mitochondrial pathologies?

Confocal Scanning Microscopy

DNA-based Point Accumulation for Imaging in Nanoscale Topography

dynamin-related protein 1

mitochondria-associated membrane

mitofusin 1/mitofusin 2

mitochondrial contact site and cristae organising system

MINimal photon FLUXes

mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization

mitochondrial membrane potential

non-linear illumination patterns

oxidative phosphorylation

photo-activable fluorescent protein

PhotoActivation Localisation Microscopy

REversible Saturable OpticaL Fluorescence Transition

Reactive Oxygen Species

Structured Illumination Microscopy

Single Molecule Localisation Microscopy

Single particle tracking

STimulated Emission Depletion

(direct) Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence

Mitochondria

Nucleoids

Microscopy

Super-resolution

MICOS

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.