Mitochondrial Remodeling and Dynamic Inter-Organellar Contacts in Cardiovascular Physiopathology

Intracellular organelles have been traditionally viewed as individual biological entities with static morphology, organization and function. However, it is current opinion in biology that membranes of these organelles are dynamic and engage structural and functional communications each others creating new real intracellular compartments with their own pool of proteins; these contact sites are involved in multiple molecular pathways ranging from lipid metabolism, material exchange, response to cellular stress to cell death. Among intracellular organelles, mitochondria play a crucial role in cell bioenergetics and in all those pathways. They are more abundant in cardiomyocytes, constituting 35% of the total cell volume, as the heart is an organ with a high-energy demand. Thus, it is not surprising whether their dysfunction leads to cardiovascular diseases and defect in heart development and differentiation.

This Research Topic collection aims to showcase the latest findings in understanding the mechanisms and functions of mitochondrial dynamics, remodeling and inter-organelle communications (not only those involving mitochondria) in the physiopathology of the heart. We welcome Original Research and Review articles.