Design of experiments to probe mitochondrial energetics

11 February 2011

Daniel Beard
Department of Physiology
Medical College of Wisconsin

Abstract

Mitochondria are the primary site of ATP synthesis in the heart and several other tissues. The rate and free energy at which ATP can be synthesized are critically important to tissue function. A number of disease states, including heart failure, are associated with a diminished capacity of mitochondria to synthesize ATP. Beyond its physiological importance, the mitochondria represents an attractive target for theoretical investigation because many key variables may be assayed dynamically in vitro in preparations of purified mitochondria. In this lecture, we will develop simple mathematical models of mitochondrial energetics to probe key control mechanisms and to design experiments to test and identify models.

References

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