Mitochondria and the thermal limits of ectotherms.

ABSTRACT: Temperature is a critical abiotic factor shaping the distribution and abundance of species, but the mechanisms that underpin organismal thermal limits remain poorly understood. One possible mechanism underlying these limits is the failure of mitochondrial processes, as mitochondria play a crucial role in animals as the primary site of ATP production. Conventional measures of mitochondrial performance suggest that these organelles can function at temperatures much higher than those that limit whole-organism function, suggesting that they are unlikely to set organismal thermal limits. However, this conclusion is challenged by recent data connecting sequence variation in mitochondrial genes to whole-organism thermal tolerance. Here, we review the current state of knowledge of mitochondrial re

SUBMITTER: Chung DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10668358 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature