MeHg Causes Ultrastructural Changes in Mitochondria and Autophagy in the Spinal Cord Cells of Chicken Embryo

Figure 2

Effects of MeHg on mitochondrial structure in spinal cord of E10 embryos. Electron micrograph showing mitochondria in the mantle layer of control and MeHg-treated embryos. Mitochondria (M) in control embryos showed mitochondrial crests (C), internal mitochondrial membrane (IMM, white arrow), and external mitochondrial membrane (EMM, black arrow) visualized in longitudinal (a, c) and transverse planes (a, d). Mitochondria of the MeHg-treated embryos showed ruptures in the EMM (black arrowhead), loss and disorganization of crests, swelling () in the mitochondrial matrix, and vacuolization () between IMM and EMM. Unusual mitochondrial shapes, cup-like (i) and donut-like (j-k), were observed in MeHg-treated embryos. Fusion (white arrowhead) in mitochondrial donut-like shape. The graphs show the total number of mitochondria (l) and the number of altered mitochondria (m) in control and MeHg-treated groups. indicates P < 0.05. Nucleus (N), endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and Golgi complex (GC). Scale bars: (a-b) 1 μm; (c–k) 200 nm.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)

(i)

(j)

(k)

(l)

(m)