Abstract
Mitochondria are essential regulators in not only ATP generation and metabolic reprogramming but also the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to pathogenic stimuli. During exposure to environmental stresses including oxidative stress, exercise, cell division and caloric restriction, mitochondria can be divided to increase mitochondrial number, size, and mass. Moreover, mitochondrial biogenesis has a crucial role in the resolution of inflammation through preserving metabolic function. Recently, diverse biochemical methods have been utilized to evaluate activity of mitochondrial biogenesis. In this protocol, we will describe an in vitro assay to measure mitochondrial DNA content and mass. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis for determination of mitochondrial DNA content is a powerful tool with the addition of flow cytometry or confocal microscopy for evaluating mitochondrial mass. Together, these protocols may provide the significant information for mitochondria studies.
Keywords: Mitochondrial DNA content, Macrophages, Mitochondrial DNA Mass, Quantitative real-time PCR analysis, Flow cytometry
Materials and Reagents
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Acknowledgments
The protocol was adapted from Experimental Procedures of previously published paper in Yuk et al. (2015). This work was supported by research fund of Chungnam National University.
References
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