Mitochondria-derived cell-to-cell communication

In addition to their intracellular mobility, mitochondria and their components can exist outside the cells from which they originate. As a result, they are capable of acting on non-parental distant cells and mediate intercellular communication in physiological conditions and in a variety of pathologies. It has recently been demonstrated that this horizontal transfer governs a wide range of biological processes, such as tissue homeostasis, the rescue of injured recipient cells, and tumorigenesis. In addition, due to mitochondria's bacterial ancestry, they and their components can be recognized as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) by the immune cells, leading to inflammation. Here, we provide an overview of the most current and significant findings concerning the different structures of extracellular mitochondria and their by-products and their functions in the physiological and pathological context. This account illustrates the ongoing expansion of our understanding of mitochondria's biological role and functions in mammalian organisms.