Recycling System in Self-Repairing Mitochondria Discovered

Researchers have discovered that mitochondria in cells can remove and replace damaged micro folds in their structure in a ‘micro-autophagy’ process. The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) team discovered the previously unseen event when damaged folds, called cristae, squeezed through their outer membranes and were consumed and digested by lysosomes. Using this process, called VDIM formation, cells can ensure that mitochondria can continue their regular function.