A novel and effective separation method for single mitochondria analysis.

To investigate the set of mtDNA molecules contained in small biological structures, powerful techniques for separation are required. We tested flow cytometry (FCM(1)), laser capture microdissection (LCM(2)) and a method using optical tweezers (OT(3)) in combination with a 1μ-Ibidi-Slide with regard to their ability to deposit single mitochondrial particles. The success of separation was determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR(4)) and sequencing analysis. OT revealed the highest potential for the separation and deposition of single mitochondrial particles. The study presents a novel setup for effective separation of single mitochondrial particles, which is crucial for the analysis of single mitochondria.