Preparation of Mitochondria from Protozoa and Algae

This chapter discusses the preparation of mitochondria from protozoa and algae. The isolation and properties of mitochondria from various higher plants and from the tissues of animals are extensively studied. Oxidative phosphorylation has been observed in cell-free systems isolated from bacteria, yeast, and Neurospora. Until recently there was little success in the isolation of mitochondria from protozoa and algae. This chapter brings together the recently developed techniques on these latter cell types. So far, tightly coupled mitochondria have been isolated only from Tetrahymena pyriformis and from Prototheca zopfii. A wide variety of techniques for determining yields of mitochondria1 protein are available. Two commonly used techniques are those of Lowry et al. and Gornall et al. The trypanosome Crithidia fasciculata has been used recently in mitochondria studies by several investigators.