Isolation and purification of functionally intact mitochondria and chloroplasts from plant cells

Abstract The photosynthetic higher plant cell is compartmentalized into organelles such as chloroplasts, mitochondria, peroxisomes, and vacuoles and is unique amongst higher plant cells in containing two bioenergetic organelles. The success and the survival of the plant cell depends upon the co-ordination and integration of the differing metabolic activities of the different organelles. Clearly the metabolic activities and roles of the organelles will vary not only with the developmental state of that cell but also with the type of cell, e.g. mesophyll, epidermal, or bundle sheath. Photosynthetic higher plant cell systems offer the opportunity to isolate both mitochondria and chloroplasts from the same cell at a similar stage of development, a factor of some importance when attempting to present a complete picture of the bioenergetics of that cell (1, 2). There is a large diversity of plant cells each with differing characteristics and developmental patterns and a complete description of the life cycle of a plant cell will only emerge when the integrated pattern of both metabolism and development is known. An answer to this question necessitates the isolation and purification of functionally intact organelles.