Loss of Mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier 1 affects mitochondrial morphology and plant growth.

Loss of mitochondrial ADP/ATP Carrier 1 (AAC1) in plants reduces O2 consumption and disrupts mitochondrial ultrastructure, including a less electron-dense matrix and occasional cristae absence.

• Why it matters: AAC1-mediated nucleotide exchange is central to energy homeostasis, but its plant-specific regulation and physiological roles were unclear compared with animal and yeast systems.
• What they did: The study characterized AAC1 substrate specificity and analyzed aac1 mutants using O2 consumption assays, total adenylate profiling, and mitochondrial ultrastructure measurements, alongside vegetative and reproductive growth phenotyping.
• The result: aac1 roots showed altered adenylate balance and reduced adenylate energy charge without evident cytosolic ATP decreases, and AAC1 loss shifted growth by reducing leaf number and root elongation while increasing silique size and seed weight.

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