Fluorescence Imaging of Mitochondria in Yeast

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has many advantages as a model system, but until recently high-resolution microscopy was not often attempted in this organism. Its small size, rounded shape, and rigid cell wall were obstacles to exploring the cell biology of this model eukaryote. However, it is now feasible for laboratories to acquire and analyze high-resolution, multidimensional images of yeast cell biology, including the mitochondria. As a result, imaging of yeast has emerged as an important tool in eukaryotic cell biology. This chapter describes labeling methods and optical approaches for visualizing yeast mitochondria using fluorescence microscopy.