Clustering and spatial distribution of mitochondria in dendritic trees
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Neuronal dendrites form densely branched tree architectures through which mitochondria must be distributed to supply the cell's energetic needs. Dendritic mitochondria circulate across the tree, undergoing fusion and fission to form clusters of varying sizes. We present a mathematical model for the distribution of such actively driven interacting particles in a branched geometry, showing that the density and localization of particles is highly sensitive to the fusion/fission balance and to the tree architecture. Our model demonstrates that “balanced” trees (wherein cross-sectional area is conserved across junctions and thicker branches support more bushy subtrees) enable symmetric yet distally enriched particle distributions and promote dispersion into smaller clusters. These results highlight the importance of tree morphology and radius-dependent fusion in governing the distribution of neuronal mitochondria. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Source: Physical Review Research
Authors: M. Hidalgo-Soria, E. F. Koslover
Institution: University of California San Diego
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,625
Funder: National Science Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W4405736922