Mitochondrial/Nuclear Superstructures Drive Morphological Changes in Endometrial Epithelia by Pressure Exerted when Gas Vacuoles Form and Coalesce within Superstructures

Mitochondria, usually ovoid structures no larger than 0.5 microns can fuse into structures that are 5 microns and larger such as nebenkern, spheroidal or cup-shaped mitochondria, and even mega-mitochondria. In studying differentiation of human endometrial epithelial cells, it became clear that formation of mitochondrial superstructures was an essential part of the process. In this paper, the origins, function, and demise of these superstructures called mitonucleons are described. In the course of reading papers about mitochondrial superstructures, it became obvious that there are important similarities, particularly with regard to function, between the mitonucleon and the nebenkern, a superstructure essential for dramatic tail elongation during spermatogenesis in grasshoppers, drosophila, and other insects. Close inspection of photomicrographs of differentiating mitonucleons during the first 12 hours suggests that gases build up in vacuoles within the mitochondrial superstructure creating pressure that elevates syncytial membranes and compresses nuclear aggregates contained within the mitonucleon.