Cell Structural Analysis Service
Ferroptosis is a new iron-dependent form of programmed cell necrosis discovered in recent years, which differs significantly from apoptosis, cell necrosis, and cell autophagy in morphological, biochemical, and genetic aspects. Protheragen offers imaging and research methods related to cell morphology in Ferroptosis to help our customers conduct in-depth research on Ferroptosis-related topics.
Cell Structural Changes in Ferroptosis
Ferroptosis is a recently identified form of iron-dependent cell deat h that differs from other cell deaths, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, cytokinesis, and autophagy-dependent cell death. This form of cell death does not exhibit the typical morphological and biochemical features, including cellular crumpling, mitochondrial breakage, and nuclear condensation.
| Cell Death Type | Structural Characteristics |
| Ferroptosis | Cell swelling, electron-dense mitochondria, and outer-membrane rupture, reduction or vanishing of mitochondria crista. |
| Apoptosis | Plasma membrane blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation. |
| Necroptosis | Rupture of the plasma membrane, cell swelling and disrupted cytoplasmic organelles, chromatin condensation. |
| Pyroptosis | Plasma membrane rupture, organelle swelling, nuclear condensation. |
| Autophagy-dependent Cell Death | Formation of double membraned autolysosomes. |
Mitochondrial Morphological Changes in Ferroptosis
Mitochondria in cellular power plants control a number of key biological processes, including oxidative phosphorylation through electron transfer and oxidation, fatty acid β-oxidation, and the TCA cycle. In addition to these diverse functions, mitochondria also determine several types of cell death, including apoptosis , cytokinesis and necroptosis.
- Mitochondrial Damage in Iron Overload
Iron overload is one of the most important causes and typical hallmarks of ferroptosis, which promotes different levels of mitochondrial damage. Iron overload leads to abnormal mitochondrial morphology, resulting in structural fragmentation of several cultured mammalian cells and gradual loss of intact mtDNA due to mtDNA double-strand breaks. - Mitochondrial Structural Disruption
Upon exposure to ferroptosis inducers, shrunken mitochondria in cells appear smaller and have increased membrane density, followed by mitochondrial breakage and aggregation around the nucleus. Mitochondrial abnormalities such as swollen mitochondria, reduced number of cristae with a laminar structure, and rupture of the outer mitochondrial membrane were also observed.
Essential signaling functions of mitochondria [1].
Our Services
To study the morphological changes of cells during iron metabolism under physiological conditions, we provide transmission electron microscopy imaging, copolymer microscopy imaging, ion imaging and other live cell imaging methods to image and analyze the mitochondrial morphology and cell membrane integrity during ferroptosis in various types of tissue or cell samples provided by our customers.
- Mitochondrial Structure Super-resolution Imaging Analysis
- Single Cell Structure Super-resolution Imaging Analysis
MtDNA Double-strand Imaging
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can be severely damaged during ferroptosis. We offer STED fluorescence imaging methods for live cell imaging of mtDNA to help our customers analyze and study the physiological changes associated with mitochondria during ferroptosis.
Features
Advanced Technology
Experienced Team
High Quality and Efficiency
Best After-sales Service
Protheragen has a professional team and advanced equipment, and the whole process is operated by experienced technicians to provide our customers with iron metabolism related cellular assay services. If you have any needs, please contact us.
Reference
- Martínez-Reyes I, et al. Mitochondrial TCA cycle metabolites control physiology and disease[J]. Nature communications, 2020, 11(1): 1-11.