Mitochondrial energy state controls AMPK-mediated foraging behavior in .

Organisms surveil and respond to their environment using behaviors entrained by metabolic cues that reflect food availability. Mitochondria act as metabolic hubs and at the center of mitochondrial energy production is the protonmotive force (PMF), an electrochemical gradient generated by metabolite consumption. The PMF serves as a central integrator of mitochondrial status, but its role in governing metabolic signaling is poorly understood.

All-optical spatiotemporal mapping of ROS dynamics across mitochondrial microdomains in situ.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) functions as a second messenger to signal metabolic distress through highly compartmentalized production in mitochondria. The dynamics of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and diffusion between mitochondrial compartments and into the cytosol govern oxidative stress responses and pathology, though these processes remain poorly understood. Here, we couple the HO biosensor, HyPer7, with optogenetic stimulation of the ROS-generating protein KillerRed targeted into multiple mitochondrial microdomains.