Giant mitochondria in chloroplast-deprivedEuglena gracilis late after N-succinimidylofloxacin treatment

• DOI: 10.1007/bf02816386
• Publication Date: 2008-01-23T15:57:36Z
• Authors: J. Polónyi; L. Ebringer; J. Dobias; J. Krajčovič
• Keywords: Euglena gracilis

Euglena gracilis cells were treated with N-succinimidylofloxacin. After two years of cultivation of chloroplast-free mutants a number of anomalous mitochondria have been observed. Aberrant mitochondria about 5–8 μm long and wide with unusual shape, disfigured mitochondria with enormous size, giant swollen oval-shaped megamitochondria, narrow and very long (50–60 μm) mitochondria localized at the cell perimeter were found in addition to normal mitochondria. The volume percentage of aberrant mitochondria in 58% of cells reached 65%. Swollen mitochondria probably do not fulfil the mitochondrial function and may cause cell death with subsequent elimination of injured mitochondria.