Mitochondria form a dynamic network in which continuous movement, fusion, and division ensure the distribution and exchange of proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The recent past has seen the identification and characterization of the first proteins governing the organization, function, and dynamics of mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA, and it is predictable that numerous new proteins will require localization and functional characterization in the future. In this chapter, we describe methods for the visualization of mitochondria and mitochondrial activity in cultured mammalian cells to establish the localization or distribution of its components and to study mitochondrial fusion.
