Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Model Organism to Study Mitochondrial Biology: General Considerations

Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used to study mitochondrial biogenesis and function. We review some basic properties that make yeast an ideal model organism to investigate various aspects of mitochondrial biology. We discuss genetic features of commonly used yeast strains that are important for mitochondrial studies. Furthermore, this chapter provides protocols describing yeast culture conditions and procedures for isolation and purification of mitochondria.