The Fralin Life Science Research Institute and The Metabolic Phenotyping Core at Virginia Tech supported this work.

Animal studies were performed under an approved protocol by the Institutional Animal Care and use Committee at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
1. Setup (Time: ~45 min)
<ol>
	<li>Thaw frozen stores of 0.25% Trypsin, Isolation Buffer for Mitochondria (IBM) 1 and IBM2 in a 37 &#176;C water bath.</li>
	<li>Rinse glassware and dissecting instruments in 70% ethanol followed by high purity water.</li>
	<li>Prepare 0.05% trypsin solution from 0.25% trypsin stock by diluting 1 part trypsin in 4 parts IBM1.</li>
	<li>Mix protease and phosphatase inhibitor cocktail with cell lysis buffer (1:100 ratio) in a 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube with screw cap.</li>
	<li>Aliquot 5 ml (5 ml/mouse) of 0.05% trypsin into a 15 ml plastic tube.</li>
	<li>Set motor driven tissue homogenizer to 80 RPM.</li>
</ol>
2. Isolation of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria (Time: ~90 min)
<ol>
	<li>Euthanize a mouse by CO2 inhalation, followed by cervical dislocation.</li>
	<li>Remove red muscle from the quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscle, which includes the soleus (~75-100 mg total) as described in the following steps:
	<ol>
		<li>Peel the skin towards the mouse.</li>
		<li>Remove the fat pad over the quadriceps origin point. Cut the quadriceps tendon that is attached to the patella with fine tipped scissors. 
		Note: The quadriceps is identified by its anatomical position on the anterior portion of the proximal femur.</li>
		<li>Slowly snip the aponeurosis between the bone and the quadriceps, while avoiding the femoral artery, to liberate the quadriceps from the bone. Cut the tendon with fine tipped scissors at the origin point on the femur to liberate the quadriceps muscle and place the quadriceps muscle in chilled PBS.</li>
		<li>Remove visible adipose tissue over the quadriceps with scissors. Flip the quadriceps over so that the portion of the muscle that was overlying the femur is facing up. Open the quadriceps muscle with forceps in a fanning motion. Remove the two visible red muscle portions from each lobe with fine tipped scissors and place in a beaker containing 5 ml of chilled IBM1. 
		Note: Quadriceps muscle appear as two lobes with a strip of red muscle located near the lateral edge of each lobe.</li>
		<li>Cut the skin overlying the Achilles tendon with fine tipped scissors and peel the skin toward the mouse. Cut the exposed Achilles tendon and peel the muscle towards the body of the mouse.</li>
		<li>Cut the tendon at the lateral and medial condyles of the femur with fine tipped scissors to liberate the gastrocnemius and place the gastrocnemius attached to its tendons in chilled PBS.</li>
		<li>Flip the gastrocnemius over and peel off the soleus muscle and place into the beaker containing 5 ml of chilled IBM1. Fan open the gastrocnemius. Remove the three visual red muscle portions (two lateral and one medial superficial red strips) with fine tipped scissors and transfer them to the beaker containing 5 ml of chilled IBM1.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Remove another ~75-100 mg of red muscle from the other leg of the mouse (as described in step 2.2) and place into a 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube with protease and phosphatase inhibitor cocktail and cell lysis buffer (50 mM Tris-HCL, 1 mM EDTA, 150 mM NaCl, 1% Sodium dodecyl sulfate, 0.5% Sodium deoxycholate, 1% Polyoxyethylene (9) nonylphenylether, branched. Immediately flash-freeze this second sample in liquid nitrogen for later use in Western blotting (see step 6.1).</li>
	<li>Place a pre-chilled, flat plastic surface on ice in a large bucket. Pour a drop of IBM1 onto the plastic surface and use tweezers to place all of the sectioned red muscle (step 2.2.4 and 2.2.7) in IBM1 droplet. Mince the muscle tissue for 2 min using 3 single edge razor blades by changing razors every 40 sec.</li>
	<li>Transfer the minced tissue to a new beaker with 5 ml of fresh IBM1 by holding the plastic surface over the beaker and scraping the muscle into the beaker with a razor blade. Take this solution and drain it through a 100 &#181;m cell strainer placed onto a 50 ml conical tube.</li>
	<li>Blot the tissue with a delicate task wiper and then transfer it into 5 ml of the 0.05% trypsin solution. Use tweezers to remove the tissue from the task wiper.</li>
	<li>Incubate the muscle tissue on ice for 30 min in 0.05% trypsin solution.</li>
	<li>Spin the 15 ml conical tube containing trypsin/muscle mixture at 200 x g for 3 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Pour the trypsin supernatant into a waste container and resuspend the pellet with 3 ml of ice cold IBM1. Transfer the tissue to a 45 ml glass homogenizer tube. Rinse the 15 ml conical tube with another 1.5 ml IBM1 to gather any remaining sample and add this to the glass homogenizer tube.</li>
	<li>Place the glass homogenizer tube into a beaker or plastic container filled halfway with ice so the glass homogenizer moves minimally within the beaker.</li>
	<li>Homogenize the tissue/IMB1 mixture with the PTFE pestle attached to a motor driven tissue homogenizer with 10 passes at 80 rpm. Hold the bottom of each pass for ~2 sec.</li>
	<li>Transfer the tissue homogenate to a new 15 ml conical tube and rinse the glass homogenizer tube with 6.5 ml of IBM1. Pour the IBM1 into the 15 ml conical tube containing tissue homogenate.</li>
	<li>Spin the 15 ml conical tube at 700 g for 10 min at 4 &#176;C. Gently pour the supernatant into a glass high strength centrifuge tube and discard the pellet.</li>
	<li>Spin the supernatant from the above step at 8,000 x g for 10 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Remove the IBM1 supernatant and re-suspend the pellet by slowly adding 500 &#181;l&#160;of IBM2. Cut off the end of a pipette tip and gently homogenize the pellet in IBM2 with mixing and stirring motions. Add another 4.5 ml of IBM2 to the mixture after the pellet is fully suspended. 
	Note: Avoid excessive trituration while breaking larger pellet pieces as this may damage the mitochondrial membranes.</li>
	<li>Spin the IBM2/tissue homogenate at 8,000 x g for 10 min at 4 &#176;C. 
	Note: This step may be repeated in a clean high strength centrifuge tube for more accurate protein quantification of isolated mitochondria in Step 4 since residual BSA may contribute to total protein content.</li>
	<li>Remove the supernatant and gently, but completely re-suspend the pellet by adding two 25 &#181;l increments of IBM2 with a pipette tip with its point cut off. Gently stir and mix the pellet after each addition of 25 &#181;l of IBM2. Place this mitochondrial stock on ice.</li>
</ol>
3. Homogenization of Whole Tissue Lysate (Time: ~45 min; Can Be Done During Step 7)
<ol>
	<li>Remove the muscle from that was placed in the liquid nitrogen from step 2.3 and incubate at room temperature until fully thawed.</li>
	<li>Mince the tissue for ~30 sec on ice with fine tipped scissors.</li>
	<li>Add two 100 &#181;l scoops of Zirconium Oxide Beads to the 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube with screw cap from step 3.2 that contains the minced tissue. Homogenize the tissue in a bead mill tissue homogenizer using two to three 5 min cycles at a speed setting of 4-6 (medium setting).</li>
	<li>Spin the mixture from step 3.3 at 12,000 x g for 10 min at 4 &#176;C. Remove the supernatant using a 1,000 &#181;l pipette tip after the spin and transfer into a 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube. Discard the pellet and place the supernatant on ice.</li>
</ol>
4. Protein Determination (Time: ~30 min)
<ol>
	<li>Determine the protein concentration of the whole tissue lysate (step 3.4) and mitochondrial stock (step 2.17) using the BCA Protein assay kit according to the manufacturer&#8217;s specifications.</li>
</ol>
5. Mitochondria Membrane Integrity; Citrate Synthase (CS) Activity (Time: ~15 min)
<ol>
	<li>Make two separate 1: 20 dilutions of the mitochondrial stock in high purity water. Add 0.1% of Triton 100-X to one sample and sonicate it at a low setting (765 Watts, amplitude of 2). Leave the other dilution on ice. Return the sample to ice after sonication.</li>
	<li>Perform a citrate synthase assay with both the non-sonicated and sonicated mitochondrial dilutions using a spectrophotometric assay as previously described11,12.</li>
	<li>Determine the percentage of intact mitochondria membranes by using the following equations: 
	(Non-sonicated CS activity &#247; Sonicated CS activity)* 100</li>
</ol>
 
&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 100- N (percent attained from above)
6. Mitochondria Isolation Quality; Western Blotting (Time: According to Lab Protocol)
<ol>
	<li>Perform Western blotting on the whole tissue lysate and isolated mitochondria as described previously12. 
	Note: Use primary antibodies for GAPDH (1: 1,000 dilution in 5% BSA/TBS-T) and COXIV (1:1,000 dilution in 5% non-fat milk/TBS-T) followed by anti-goat, and rabbit secondary antibodies, respectively (1:10,000).</li>
</ol>
7. Respirometric Assay Run (Time: ~90 min)
<ol>
	<li>Perform desired respirometric assays using microplate based O2 consumption measuring technology as previously described (see companion article and Rogers et al8).</li>
	<li>Determine the respiratory control ratio (RCR) by dividing State 3 by State 4o (RCR) or dividing State 3u by State 4o. Use either the middle (average) point, or the highest (State 3) and lowest rates (State 4o) from the point-to-point traces&#160;when determining RCR.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Brand, M., Nicholls, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assessing+mitochondrial+dysfunction+in+cells.">Assessing mitochondrial dysfunction in cells.</a> Biochem. J. 435, 297-312 (2011).</li><li>Nicholls, D. G., Ferguson, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Bioenergetics. , (2013).</li><li>Nunnari, J., Suomalainen, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mitochondria:+in+sickness+and+in+health.">Mitochondria: in sickness and in health.</a> Cell. 148, 1145-1159 (2012).</li><li>Lauri, A., Pompilio, G., Capogrossi, M. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+mitochondrial+genome+in+aging+and+senescence.">The mitochondrial genome in aging and senescence.</a> Ageing Res. Rev. 18, 1-15 (2014).</li><li>Dube, J. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+acute+lipid+overload+on+skeletal+muscle+insulin+resistance,+metabolic+flexibility,+and+mitochondrial+performance.">Effects of acute lipid overload on skeletal muscle insulin resistance, metabolic flexibility, and mitochondrial performance.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 12, 1117-1124 (2014).</li><li>Fernandez-Vizarra, E., Lopez-Perez, M. J., Enriquez, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+of+biogenetically+competent+mitochondria+from+mammalian+tissues+and+cultured+cells.">Isolation of biogenetically competent mitochondria from mammalian tissues and cultured cells.</a> Methods (San Diego, Calif). 26, 292-297 (2002).</li><li>Frezza, C., Cipolat, S., Scorrano, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Organelle+isolation:+functional+mitochondria+from+mouse+liver,+muscle+and+cultured+fibroblasts.">Organelle isolation: functional mitochondria from mouse liver, muscle and cultured fibroblasts.</a> Nat. Protoc. 2, 287-295 (2007).</li><li>Rogers, G. W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+throughput+microplate+respiratory+measurements+using+minimal+quantities+of+isolated+mitochondria.">High throughput microplate respiratory measurements using minimal quantities of isolated mitochondria.</a> PloS one. 6, e21746 (2011).</li><li>Guarino, R. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Method+for+determining+oxygen+consumption+rates+of+static+cultures+from+microplate+measurements+of+pericellular+dissolved+oxygen+concentration.">Method for determining oxygen consumption rates of static cultures from microplate measurements of pericellular dissolved oxygen concentration.</a> Biotechnol. and Bioeng. 86, 775-787 (2004).</li><li>Will, Y., Hynes, J., Ogurtsov, V. I., Papkovsky, D. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analysis+of+mitochondrial+function+using+phosphorescent+oxygen-sensitive+probes.">Analysis of mitochondrial function using phosphorescent oxygen-sensitive probes.</a> Nat. Protoc. 1, 2563-2572 (2007).</li><li>Hulver, M. W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Elevated+stearoyl-CoA+desaturase-1+expression+in+skeletal+muscle+contributes+to+abnormal+fatty+acid+partitioning+in+obese+humans.">Elevated stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 expression in skeletal muscle contributes to abnormal fatty acid partitioning in obese humans.</a> Cell Metab. 2, 251-261 (2005).</li><li>Frisard, M. I., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Toll-like+receptor+4+modulates+skeletal+muscle+substrate+metabolism.">Toll-like receptor 4 modulates skeletal muscle substrate metabolism.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 298, e988-e998 (2010).</li><li>Chance, B., Williams, G. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+respiratory+chain+and+oxidative+phosphorylation.">The respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation.</a> Adv. Enzymol. Relat. Subjects of Biochem. 17, 65-134 (1956).</li><li>Garcia-Cazarin, M. L., Snider, N. N., Andrade, F. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mitochondrial+isolation+from+skeletal+muscle.">Mitochondrial isolation from skeletal muscle.</a> JoVE. , (2011).</li><li>Gross, V. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+of+functional+mitochondria+from+rat+kidney+and+skeletal+muscle+without+manual+homogenization.">Isolation of functional mitochondria from rat kidney and skeletal muscle without manual homogenization.</a> Anal. Biochem. 418, 213-223 (2011).</li><li>Krieger, D. A., Tate, C. A., McMillin-Wood, J., Booth, F. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Populations+of+rat+skeletal+muscle+mitochondria+after+exercise+and+immobilization.">Populations of rat skeletal muscle mitochondria after exercise and immobilization.</a> J. Appl. Physiol.: Respir., Envir. and Ex. Physiol. 48, 23-28 (1980).</li><li>Asmann, Y. W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Skeletal+muscle+mitochondrial+functions,+mitochondrial+DNA+copy+numbers,+and+gene+transcript+profiles+in+type+2+diabetic+and+nondiabetic+subjects+at+equal+levels+of+low+or+high+insulin+and+euglycemia.">Skeletal muscle mitochondrial functions, mitochondrial DNA copy numbers, and gene transcript profiles in type 2 diabetic and nondiabetic subjects at equal levels of low or high insulin and euglycemia.</a> Diabetes. 55, 3309-3319 (2006).</li><li>Lanza, I. R., Nair, K. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functional+assessment+of+isolated+mitochondria+in+vitro.">Functional assessment of isolated mitochondria in vitro.</a> Methods Enzymol. 457, 349-372 (2009).</li></ol>

George Rogers is an employee of Seahorse Bioscience that produces the instrument for which this protocol was modified.

The methods presented herein provide a detailed description of a mitochondrial isolation procedure from minimal quantities (~75-100 mg) of mouse skeletal muscle. This isolation procedure is able to yield high functioning, pure mitochondria (~450 &#181;g) as evidenced by O2 consumption rates, RCR values, maximal citrate synthase activity and protein expression from immunoblotting. Importantly, the mitochondria isolated from this procedure can be used for multiple respirometirc assays with microplate based O<sub...

The primary function of mitochondria is to produce ATP from oxidative phosphorylation. However, mitochondria have many other important cellular functions including but not limited to: the production and detoxification of reactive oxygen species, the regulation of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial calcium, organelle trafficking, ionic homeostasis, and involvement in apoptosis1,2. Therefore, it is not surprising that dysfunctional mitochondria play a role in many disease pathologies, such as aging, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes3,4. Importantly, skeletal muscle mitochondria specifically are involved in many of these pathologies3-5.
Mitochondrial respiration assays using isolated mitochondria allow for the assessment of electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation function, and the determination of mechanism(s) of action of drugs and proteins that modulate metabolism. Mitochondrial isolation procedures exist for multiple tissue and cell types for a variety of species6,7. However, these procedures often require large quantities of tissue/cells for a high quality mitochondria yield necessary for classic respirometric assays. 
Microplate based respirometirc assays allow for high throughput measurements using minimal quantities of isolated mitochondria, often just several &#181;g per well8. Therefore, we present a modification of previously published methods7 to allow for high quality mitochondria to be isolated from smaller quantities of mouse skeletal muscle for use in microplate based respirometirc assays. In addition, methods are provided to establish the quality of the mitochondrial isolation preparation and the integrity of the mitochondrial membranes. Given that skeletal muscle mitochondria are involved in many pathological conditions, the measurement of O2 consumption in mechanistically driven studies is becoming more prevalent in biomedical research9,10.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Essentially Fatty</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td rowspan="2">A6003</td>
			<td rowspan="2">N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Acid Free- BSA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris/HCl</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>H5123</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>KCL</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>P9541</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris Base</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>H5135</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EDTA</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>E6511</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EGTA</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>E4378</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sucrose</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>S7903</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>D-Mannitol</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>63559</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin-EDTA (0.25%), phenol red</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>25200-056</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Chloride 
			White Crystals or Crystalline Powder 
			&#8805;99.0 %</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP3581</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium dodecyl sulfate</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>L3771&#160;</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium deoxycholate</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>D6750&#160;</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polyoxyethylene (12) nonylphenyl ether, branched</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>238651</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Single Edge Razor Blades</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>12-640</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Falcon- 100 uM Nylon Cell Strainers</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>352360</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">Halt Protease &#38; Phosphatse Inhibitor Cocktail</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td rowspan="2">1861284</td>
			<td rowspan="2">N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">1.5mL microcentrifuge tubes with screw cap</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td rowspan="2">3474</td>
			<td rowspan="2">N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">Zirconium Oxide beads</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td rowspan="2">C9012112</td>
			<td rowspan="2">N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GAPDH antibody (1D4)</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-59540</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti- COXIV antibody</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>4844s</td>
			<td>Any mitochondrial inner membrane protein will suffice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">Peroxidase conjugated affinipure Donkey, Anti Rabbit IgG (H+L)</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Jackson ImmunoResearh</td>
			<td rowspan="2">711-035-152</td>
			<td rowspan="2">N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">Peroxidase conjugated affinipure Goat, Anti Mouse IgG (H+L)</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Jackson ImmunoResearh</td>
			<td rowspan="2">115-001-003</td>
			<td rowspan="2">N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triton-X100</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>X100</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit&#160;</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>23225</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pyruvic Acid, 98%</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>107360</td>
			<td>Store at 4&#176;C,pH to 7.4 with KOH prior to use in respirometric assay</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Succinic Acid</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>S9512</td>
			<td>Store at room temperature, pH to 7.4 with KOH prior to use in respirometric assay</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L(-) Malic Acid, BioXtra, &#8805;95%</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>M6413</td>
			<td>Store at room temperature, to 7.4 with KOH prior to use in respirometric assay</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">L-Glutamic acid</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td rowspan="2">G1251</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Store at room temperature, to 7.4 with KOH prior to use in respirometric assay, to 7.4 with KOH prior to use in respirometric assay</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Palmitoyl L-carnitine chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>P1645</td>
			<td>Store at -20&#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oligomycin A, &#8805; 95% (HPLC)</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>75351</td>
			<td>Store at -20&#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy)</td>
			<td rowspan="3">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td rowspan="3">C2920</td>
			<td rowspan="3">Store at 2-8&#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>phenylhydrazone</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#8805;98% (TLC), powder [FCCP]</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antimycin A from streptomyces sp.</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>A8674</td>
			<td>Store at -20&#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">Adenosine 5&#8242;-diphosphate monopotassium salt dehydrate [ADP]</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td rowspan="2">A5285</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Store at -20&#176;C, to 7.4 with KOH prior to use in respirometric assay</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rotenone</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>R8875</td>
			<td>Store at room temperature</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

isolation of mitochondria from minimal quantities of mouse skeletal muscle for high throughput microplate respiratory measurements

Dysfunctional skeletal muscle mitochondria play a role in altered metabolism observed with aging, obesity and Type II diabetes. Mitochondrial respirometric assays from isolated mitochondrial preparations allow for the assessment of mitochondrial function, as well as determination of the mechanism(s) of action of drugs and proteins that modulate metabolism. Current isolation procedures often require large quantities of tissue to yield high quality mitochondria necessary for respirometric assays. The methods presented herein describe how high quality purified mitochondria (~ 450 &#181;g) can be isolated from minimal quantities (~75-100 mg) of mouse skeletal muscle for use in high throughput respiratory measurements. We determined that our isolation method yields 92.5&#177; 2.0% intact mitochondria by measuring citrate synthase activity spectrophotometrically. In addition, Western blot analysis in isolated mitochondria resulted in the faint expression of the cytosolic protein, GAPDH, and the robust expression of the mitochondrial protein, COXIV. The absence of a prominent GAPDH band in the isolated mitochondria is indicative of little contamination from non-mitochondrial sources during the isolation procedure. Most importantly, the measurement of O2 consumption rate with micro-plate based technology and determining the respiratory control ratio (RCR) for coupled respirometric assays shows highly coupled (RCR; &#62;6 for all assays) and functional mitochondria. In conclusion, the addition of a separate mincing step and significantly reducing motor driven homogenization speed of a previously reported method has allowed the isolation of high quality and purified mitochondria from smaller quantities of mouse skeletal muscle that results in highly coupled mitochondria that respire with high function during microplate based respirometirc assays.

Citrate synthase activity serves as a measure for membrane integrity since citrate synthase is located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, and thus should not be present in suspensions of mitochondria with intact membranes. Figure 1 represents citrate synthase activity in non-sonicated mitochondrial samples compared with sonicated samples from the same isolation. Sonicating the mitochondria results in a statistically significant increase in citrate synthase activity (P &#60;0.01). Importantly, 92.5 &#17...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation of Mitochondria from Minimal Quantities of Mouse Skeletal Muscle for High Throughput Microplate Respiratory Measurements at JoVE.com

Isolation of Mitochondria from Minimal Quantities of Mouse Skeletal Muscle for High Throughput Microplate Respiratory Measurements

Here, we present a modification of a previously reported method that allows for the isolation of high quality and purified mitochondria from smaller quantities of mouse skeletal muscle. This procedure results in highly coupled mitochondria that respire with high function during microplate based respirometirc assays.

Dysfunctional skeletal muscle mitochondria play a role in altered metabolism observed with aging, obesity and Type II diabetes. Mitochondrial ...

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JoVE Journal

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12.7K Views.  Virginia Tech. Here, we present a modification of a previously reported method that allows for the isolation of high quality and purified mitochondria from smaller quantities of mouse skeletal muscle. This procedure results in highly coupled mitochondria that respire with high function during microplate based respirometirc assays.

Video: Isolation of Mitochondria from Minimal Quantities of Mouse Skeletal Muscle for High Throughput Microplate Respiratory Measurements

Adult and Embryonic Skeletal Muscle Microexplant Culture and Isolation of Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells

Cultured embryonic and adult skeletal muscle cells have a number of different uses. The micro-dissected explants technique described in this chapter is a robust and reliable method for isolating relatively large numbers of proliferative skeletal muscle cells from juvenile, adult or embryonic muscles as a source of skeletal muscle stem cells. The authors have used micro-dissected explant cultures to analyse the growth characteristics of skeletal muscle cells in wild-type and dystrophic muscles. Each of the components of tissue growth, namely cell survival, proliferation, senescence and differentiation can be analysed separately using the methods described here. The net effect of all components of growth can be established by means of measuring explant outgrowth rates. The micro-explant method can be used to establish primary cultures from a wide range of different muscle types and ages and, as described here, has been adapted by the authors to enable the isolation of embryonic skeletal muscle precursors.
Uniquely, micro-explant cultures have been used to derive clonal (single cell origin) skeletal muscle stem cell (SMSc) lines which can be expanded and used for in vivo transplantation. In vivo transplanted SMSc behave as functional, tissue-specific, satellite cells which contribute to skeletal muscle fibre regeneration but which are also retained (in the satellite cell niche) as a small pool of undifferentiated stem cells which can be re-isolated into culture using the micro-explant method.

The micro-dissected explants technique is a robust and reliable method for isolating proliferative skeletal muscle cells from juvenile, adult or embryonic muscles as a source of skeletal muscle stem cells. Uniquely, these cells have been clonally derived to produce skeletal muscle stem cell lines used for in vivo transplantation.

Cultured embryonic and adult skeletal muscle cells have a number of different uses. The micro-dissected explants technique described in this chapter is a ...

Mitochondrial Isolation from Skeletal Muscle

Mitochondria are organelles controlling the life and death of the cell. They participate in key metabolic reactions, synthesize most of the ATP, and regulate a number of signaling cascades2,3. Past and current researchers have isolated mitochondria from rat and mice tissues such as liver, brain and heart4,5. In recent years, many researchers have focused on studying mitochondrial function from skeletal muscles.
Here, we describe a method that we have used successfully for the isolation of mitochondria from skeletal muscles 6. Our procedure requires that all buffers and reagents are made fresh and need about 250-500 mg of skeletal muscle. We studied mitochondria isolated from rat and mouse gastrocnemius and diaphragm, and rat extraocular muscles. Mitochondrial protein concentration is measured with the Bradford assay. It is important that mitochondrial samples be kept ice-cold during preparation and that functional studies be performed within a relatively short time (~1 hr). Mitochondrial respiration is measured using polarography with a Clark-type electrode (Oxygraph system) at 37&deg;C7. Calibration of the oxygen electrode is a key step in this protocol and it must be performed daily. Isolated mitochondria (150 &mu;g) are added to 0.5 ml of experimental buffer (EB). State 2 respiration starts with addition of glutamate (5mM) and malate (2.5 mM). Then, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) (150 &mu;M) is added to start state 3. Oligomycin (1 &mu;M), an ATPase synthase blocker, is used to estimate state 4. Lastly, carbonyl cyanide p-[trifluoromethoxy]-phenyl-hydrazone (FCCP, 0.2 &mu;M) is added to measurestate 5, or uncoupled respiration 6. The respiratory control ratio (RCR), the ratio of state 3 to state 4, is calculated after each experiment. An RCR &ge;4 is considered as evidence of a viable mitochondria preparation.
In summary, we present a method for the isolation of viable mitochondria from skeletal muscles that can be used in biochemical (e.g., enzyme activity, immunodetection, proteomics) and functional studies (mitochondrial respiration).

This protocol describes a procedure to study the respiration of mitochondria isolated from skeletal muscles. This method was adapted from Scorrano et al. (2007). The mitochondrial isolation procedure requires about 2 hours. The mitochondrial respiration can be completed in about 1 hour.

Mitochondria are organelles controlling the life and death of the cell. They participate in key metabolic reactions, synthesize most of the ATP, and ...

Purification of Progenitors from Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle contains multiple progenitor populations of distinct embryonic origins and developmental potential. Myogenic progenitors, usually residing in a "satellite cell position" between the myofiber plasma membrane and the laminin-rich basement membrane that ensheaths it, are self-renewing cells that are solely committed to the myogenic lineage1,2. We have recently described a second class of vessel associated progenitors that can generate myofibroblasts and white adipocytes, which responds to damage by efficiently entering proliferation and provides trophic support to myogenic cells during tissue regeneration3,4. One of the most trusted assays to determine the developmental and regenerative potential of a given cell population relies on their isolation and transplantation5-7. To this end we have optimized protocols for their purification by flow cytometry from enzymatically dissociated muscle, which we will outline in this article. The populations obtained using this method will contain either myogenic or fibro/adipogenic colony forming cells: no other cell types are capable of expanding in vitro or surviving in vivo delivery. However, when these populations are used immediately after the sort for molecular analysis (e.g qRT-PCR) one must keep in mind that the freshly sorted subsets may contain other contaminant cells that lack the ability of forming colonies or engrafting recipients.

Method for the enzymatic dissociation, surface labeling and purification by flow cytometry of fibro/adipogenic and myogenic progenitors from murine skeletal muscle.

Skeletal muscle contains multiple progenitor populations of distinct embryonic origins and developmental potential. Myogenic progenitors, usually residing ...

Isolation and Culture of Individual Myofibers and their Satellite Cells from Adult Skeletal Muscle

Muscle regeneration in the adult is performed by resident stem cells called satellite cells. Satellite cells are defined by their position between the basal lamina and the sarcolemma of each myofiber. Current knowledge of their behavior heavily relies on the use of the single myofiber isolation protocol. In 1985, Bischoff described a protocol to isolate single live fibers from the Flexor Digitorum Brevis (FDB) of adult rats with the goal to create an in vitro system in which the physical association between the myofiber and its stem cells is preserved 1. In 1995, Rosenblattmodified the Bischoff protocol such that myofibers are singly picked and handled separately after collagenase digestion instead of being isolated by gravity sedimentation 2, 3. The Rosenblatt or Bischoff protocol has since been adapted to different muscles, age or conditions 3-6. The single myofiber isolation technique is an indispensable tool due its unique advantages. First, in the single myofiber protocol, satellite cells are maintained beneath the basal lamina. This is a unique feature of the protocol as other techniques such as Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting require chemical and mechanical tissue dissociation 7. Although the myofiber culture system cannot substitute for in vivo studies, it does offer an excellent platform to address relevant biological properties of muscle stem cells. Single myofibers can be cultured in standard plating conditions or in floating conditions. Satellite cells on floating myofibers are subjected to virtually no other influence than the myofiber environment. Substrate stiffness and coating have been shown to influence satellite cells' ability to regenerate muscles 8, 9 so being able to control each of these factors independently allows discrimination between niche-dependent and -independent responses. Different concentrations of serum have also been shown to have an effect on the transition from quiescence to activation. To preserve the quiescence state of its associated satellite cells, fibers should be kept in low serum medium 1-3. This is particularly useful when studying genes involved in the quiescence state. In serum rich medium, satellite cells quickly activate, proliferate, migrate and differentiate, thus mimicking the in vivo regenerative process 1-3. The system can be used to perform a variety of assays such as the testing of chemical inhibitors; ectopic expression of genes by virus delivery; oligonucleotide based gene knock-down or live imaging. This video article describes the protocol currently used in our laboratory to isolate single myofibers from the Extensor Digitorum Longus (EDL) muscle of adult mice (6-8 weeks old).

Isolation and culture of myofibers is the gold standard in vitro system to study the transition of satellite cells through quiescence, activation and differentiation. Importantly, the single myofiber culture system preserves the myofiber/stem cell association, which is an essential component of the muscle stem cell niche.

Muscle  regeneration in the adult is performed by resident stem cells called satellite  cells. Satellite cells are defined by  their position between the ...

Isolation of Blood-vessel-derived Multipotent Precursors from Human Skeletal Muscle

Since the discovery of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), the native identity and localization&#160;of MSCs have been obscured by their retrospective isolation in culture. Recently, using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), we and other researchers prospectively identified and purified three subpopulations of multipotent precursor cells associated with the vasculature of human skeletal muscle. These three cell populations: myogenic endothelial cells (MECs), pericytes (PCs), and adventitial cells (ACs), are localized respectively to the three structural layers of blood vessels: intima, media, and adventitia. All of these human blood-vessel-derived stem cell (hBVSC) populations not only express classic MSC markers but also possess mesodermal developmental potentials similar to typical MSCs. Previously, MECs, PCs, and ACs have been isolated through distinct protocols and subsequently characterized in separate studies. The current isolation protocol, through modifications to the isolation process and adjustments in the selective cell surface markers, allows us to simultaneously purify all three hBVSC subpopulations by FACS from a single human muscle biopsy. This new method will not only streamline the isolation of multiple BVSC subpopulations but also facilitate future clinical applications of hBVSCs for distinct therapeutic purposes.

Blood vessels within human skeletal muscle harbor several multi-lineage precursor populations that are ideal for regenerative applications. This isolation method allows simultaneous purification of three multipotent precursor cell populations respectively from three structural layers of blood vessels: myogenic endothelial cells from intima, pericytes from media, and adventitial cells from adventitia.

Since the discovery of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), the native identity and localization&#160;of MSCs have been obscured by their retrospective ...

High-throughput Screening for Chemical Modulators of Post-transcriptionally Regulated Genes

Both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation have a profound impact on genes expression. However, commonly adopted cell-based screening assays focus on transcriptional regulation, being essentially aimed at the identification of promoter-targeting molecules. As a result, post-transcriptional mechanisms are largely uncovered by gene expression targeted drug development. Here we describe a cell-based assay aimed at investigating the role of the 3&#39; untranslated region (3&#8217; UTR) in the modulation of the fate of its mRNA, and at identifying compounds able to modify it. The assay is based on the use of a luciferase reporter construct containing the 3&#8217; UTR of a gene of interest stably integrated into a disease-relevant cell line. The protocol is divided into two parts, with the initial focus on the primary screening aimed at the identification of molecules affecting luciferase activity after 24 hr of treatment. The second part of the protocol describes the counter-screening necessary to discriminate compounds modulating luciferase activity specifically through the 3&#8217; UTR. In addition to the detailed protocol and representative results, we provide important considerations about the assay development and the validation of the hit(s) on the endogenous target. The described cell-based reporter gene assay will allow scientists to identify molecules modulating protein levels via post-transcriptional mechanisms dependent on a 3&#8217; UTR.

Here we describe a cell-based reporter gene assay as a valuable tool to screen chemical libraries for compounds modulating post-transcriptional control mechanisms exerted through 3&#8217; UTR.

Both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation have a profound impact on genes expression. However, commonly adopted cell-based screening assays ...

Isolation of Intact Mitochondria from Skeletal Muscle by Differential Centrifugation for High-resolution Respirometry Measurements

Mitochondria are involved in cellular energy metabolism and use oxygen to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Differential centrifugation at low- and high-speed is commonly used to isolate mitochondria from tissues and cultured cells. Crude mitochondrial fractions obtained by differential centrifugation are used for respirometry measurements. The differential centrifugation technique is based on the separation of organelles according to their size and sedimentation velocity. The isolation of mitochondria is performed immediately after tissue harvesting. The tissue is immersed in an ice-cold homogenization medium, minced using scissors and homogenized in a glass homogenizer with a loose-fitting pestle. The differential centrifugation technique is efficient, fast and inexpensive and the mitochondria obtained by differential centrifugation are pure enough for respirometry assays. Some of the limitations and disadvantages of isolated mitochondria, based on differential centrifugation, are that the mitochondria can be damaged during the homogenization and isolation procedure and that large amounts of the tissue biopsy or cultured cells are required for the mitochondrial isolation.

Here, a quadriceps muscle specimen is taken from an anaesthetized pig and mitochondria are isolated by differential centrifugation. Then, the respiratory rates of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II and IV are determined using high-resolution respirometry.

Mitochondria are involved in cellular energy metabolism and use oxygen to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Differential ...

Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes from Skeletal Muscle Fibroblasts

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles released by virtually all cells and secreted in all biological fluids. Many methods have been developed for the isolation of these vesicles, including ultracentrifugation, ultrafiltration, and size exclusion chromatography. However, not all are suitable for large scale exosome purification and characterization. Outlined here is a protocol for establishing cultures of primary fibroblasts isolated from adult mouse skeletal muscles, followed by purification and characterization of exosomes from the culture media of these cells. The method is based on the use of sequential centrifugation steps followed by sucrose density gradients. Purity of the exosomal preparations is then validated by western blot analyses using a battery of canonical markers (i.e., Alix, CD9, and CD81). The protocol describes how to isolate and concentrate bioactive exosomes for electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and uptake experiments for functional studies. It can easily be scaled up or down and adapted for exosome isolation from different cell types, tissues, and biological fluids.

This protocol illustrates the 1) the isolation and culture of primary fibroblasts from the adult mouse gastrocnemius muscle as well as 2) purification and characterization of exosomes using a differential ultracentrifugation method combined with sucrose density gradients followed by western blot analyses.

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles released by virtually all cells and secreted in all biological fluids. Many methods have been developed for the ...

Isolation of High Quality Murine Atrial and Ventricular Myocytes for Simultaneous Measurements of Ca2+ Transients and L-Type Calcium Current

Mouse models play a crucial role in arrhythmia research and allow studying key mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis including altered ion channel function and calcium handling. For this purpose, atrial or ventricular cardiomyocytes of high quality are necessary to perform patch-clamp measurements or to explore calcium handling abnormalities. However, the limited yield of high-quality cardiomyocytes obtained by current isolation protocols does not allow both measurements in the same mouse. This article describes a method to isolate high-quality murine atrial and ventricular myocytes via retrograde enzyme-based Langendorff perfusion, for subsequent simultaneous measurements of calcium transients and L-type calcium current from one animal. Mouse hearts are obtained, and the aorta is rapidly cannulated to remove blood. Hearts are then initially perfused with a calcium-free solution (37 &#176;C) to dissociate the tissue at the level of intercalated discs and afterwards with an enzyme solution containing little calcium to disrupt extracellular matrix (37 &#176;C). The digested heart is subsequently dissected into atria and ventricles. Tissue samples are chopped into small pieces and dissolved by carefully pipetting up and down. The enzymatic digestion is stopped, and cells are stepwise reintroduced to physiologic calcium concentrations. After loading with a fluorescent Ca2+-indicator, isolated cardiomyocytes are prepared for simultaneous measurement of calcium currents and transients. Additionally, isolation pitfalls are discussed and patch-clamp protocols and representative traces of L-type calcium currents with simultaneous calcium transient measurements in atrial and ventricular murine myocytes isolated as described above are provided.

Isolation of High Quality Murine Atrial and Ventricular Myocytes for Simultaneous Measurements of Ca2+ Transients and L-Type Calcium Current

Mouse models allow studying key mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis. For this purpose, high quality cardiomyocytes are necessary to perform patch-clamp measurements. Here, a method to isolate murine atrial and ventricular myocytes via retrograde enzyme-based Langendorff perfusion, which allows simultaneous measurements of calcium-transients and L-type calcium current, is described.

Mouse models play a crucial role in arrhythmia research and allow studying key mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis including altered ion channel function and ...

Preparation of Rat Skeletal Muscle Homogenates for Nitrate and Nitrite Measurements

Nitrate ions (NO3-) were once thought to be inert end products of nitric oxide (NO) metabolism. However, previous studies demonstrated that nitrate ions can be converted back to NO in mammals through a two-step reduction mechanism: nitrate being reduced to nitrite (NO2-) mostly by oral commensal bacteria, then nitrite being reduced to NO by several mechanisms including via heme- or molybdenum-containing proteins. This reductive nitrate pathway contributes to enhancing NO-mediated signaling pathways, particularly in the cardiovascular system and during muscular exercise. The levels of nitrate in the body before such utilization are determined by two different sources: endogenous NO oxidation and dietary nitrate intake, principally from plants. To elucidate the complex NO cycle in physiological circumstances, we have examined further the dynamics of its metabolites, nitrate and nitrite ions, which are relatively stable compared to NO. In previous studies skeletal muscle was identified as a major storage organ for nitrate ions in mammals, as well as a direct source of NO during exercise. Therefore, establishing a reliable methodology to measure nitrate and nitrite levels in skeletal muscle is important and should be helpful in extending its application to other tissue samples. This paper explains in detail the preparation of skeletal muscle samples, using three different homogenization methods, for nitrate and nitrite measurements and discusses important issues related to homogenization processes, including the size of the samples. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations have also been compared across four different muscle groups.

We present protocols for three different methods for the homogenization of four different muscle groups of rat skeletal muscle tissue to measure and compare the levels of nitrate and nitrite. Furthermore, we compare different sample weights to investigate whether tissue sample size affects the results of homogenization.

Nitrate ions (NO3-) were once thought to be inert end products of nitric oxide (NO) metabolism. However, previous studies demonstrated that nitrate ions ...