Electron tomography reveals mitochondrial network and cristae remodelling during cell differentiation in the human placenta.

ABSTRACT: Mitochondria adapt their structure through fusion and fission, yet how their morphology and cristae architecture change as cells differentiate remains unclear. The human placenta is a valuable model for studying mitochondrial diversity within a single tissue. As epithelial trophoblast cells of the placenta differentiate, their accompanying mitochondria morphologically and functionally transform. We use array tomography to characterise mitochondrial volume and network complexity. Cryo-electron tomography reveals two distinct subpopulations of mitochondria within preparations enriched for progenitor cytotrophoblasts, and a singular, homogeneous population in the differentiated syncytiotrophoblast. We showcase the 3D topology of individual cristae through a standardised metric of "curvedness"

SUBMITTER: Acharya S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC13473558 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature