Regulatory T Cells under the Mercy of Mitochondria

Mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, known for producing energy through oxidative phosphorylation and the Krebs cycle, continue gaining notoriety for roles beyond bioenergetics. Recently in Nature, Weinberg et al. (2019) Weinberg S.E. Singer B.D. Steinert E.M. Martinez C.A. Mehta M.M. Martínez-Reyes I. Gao P. Helmin K.A. Abdala-Valencia H. Sena L.A. et al. Mitochondrial complex III is essential for suppressive function of regulatory T cells. Nature. 2019; ( Published online January 9, 2019) 10.1038/s41586-018-0846-z Crossref PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar reported that mitochondrial complex III is indispensable for suppressive function of regulatory T cells, thus highlighting the importance of mitochondria in immune tolerance