Midichloria mitochondrii is an intracellular bacterium with a unique lifestyle. Discovered in 2006 by a joint effort of the parasitologists of Pavia and Milano, Midichloria mitochondrii was found to have the remarkable capability to thrive inside the mitochondria of the cells of its host, the medically important tick Ixodes ricinus. Fascinated by this peculiar form of symbiosis, we are using and integrating multiple approaches to try to understand this interaction and its evolution, including molecular biology, genomics, high-resolution microscopy (TEM, FIB- SEM), modelling, and, more recently, in silico protein-protein predictions.

Our current research on Midichloria mitochondrii is focused on investigating the presence and features of the intramitochondrial tropism among relatives of Midichloria mitochondrii in ticks and other hosts in order to trace its evolution, and on understanding its molecular mechanisms by in silico predictions.

Selected published research:

• Modeling the Life Cycle of the Intramitochondrial Bacterium “Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii” Using Electron Microscopy Data
• The evolution of intramitochondriality in Midichloria bacteria
• Three-dimensional images reveal the impact of the endosymbiont Midichloria mitochondrii on the host mitochondria
• Tissue tropism and metabolic pathways of Midichloria mitochondrii suggest tissue-specific functions in the symbiosis with Ixodes ricinus