Mitochondrial protein turnover: Methods to measure turnover rates on a large scale

Mitochondrial proteins carry out diverse cellular functions including ATP synthesis, ion homeostasis, cell death signaling, and fatty acid metabolism and biogenesis. Compromised mitochondrial quality control is implicated in various human disorders including cardiac diseases. Recently it has emerged that mitochondrial protein turnover can serve as an informative cellular parameter to characterize mitochondrial quality and uncover disease mechanisms. The turnover rate of a mitochondrial protein reflects its homeostasis and dynamics under the quality control systems acting on mitochondria at a particular cell state. This review article summarizes some recent advances and outstanding challenges for measuring the turnover rates of mitochondrial proteins in health and disease. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Mitochondria: From Basic Mitochondrial Biology to Cardiovascular Disease. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.