Journal of Cell Science, Vol 34, Issue 1 65-79, Copyright © 1978 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Associated changes in the size and number of mitochondria present in the midgut of the larvae of the housefly, Musca domestica and phospholipid composition of the larvae

RS Sohal and RG Bridges

A possible relationship between the phospholipid base composition of larvae of the housefly and the size, number and total volume of midgut mitochondria was examined. The phospholipid composition of the larvae was altered by restricting the amount of choline, substituting choline by N-dimethylethyl-(2-hydroxyethyl)-ammonium salt or 2-N-dimethylaminoethanol and by the addition of 2-aminobutan-1-ol to the larval diet. Mitochondrial measurements were made on electron micrographs of the epithelial cells in the midgut of third instar larvae. Reduction in the normal proportion of phosphatidylcholine in the phospholipids of the larvae was associated with an increase in the average size of the mitochondria and a decrease in their number, probably due to enhanced mitochondrial fusion. The opposite effect was noted when phosphatidyl-2-aminobutan-1-ol was present as a part replacement of the phosphatidyl-ethanolamine normally present in the larvae. Larvae which contained both phosphatidyl-2-aminobutan-1-ol as well as reduced amounts of phosphatidylcholine, contained mitochondria which were intermediate in both size and number. The effects associated with the changes in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidyl-2-aminobutan-1-ol were independent of each other. The presence of the analogue of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidyldimethylaminoethanol had no significant effect on the mitochondrial distribution. Total mitochondrial volume remained unaffected by alterations in the phospholipid composition of the larvae.