bims-mitdyn Biomed News
on Mitochondrial dynamics: mechanisms
Issue of 2021–04–11
seventeen papers selected by
Edmond Chan, Queen’s University, School of Medicine
  1. AMPK/ULK1-mediated phosphorylation of Parkin ACT domain mediates an early step in mitophagy.
  2. Mitochondrial NADP+ is essential for proline biosynthesis during cell growth.
  3. Respiratory complex and tissue lineage drive recurrent mutations in tumour mtDNA.
  4. The chaperone-binding activity of the mitochondrial surface receptor Tom70 protects the cytosol against mitoprotein-induced stress.
  5. Mitochondrial Aurora kinase A induces mitophagy by interacting with MAP1LC3 and Prohibitin 2.
  6. The mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake regulator, MICU1, is involved in cold stress-induced ferroptosis.
  7. Augmenter of Liver Regeneration regulates cellular iron homeostatis by modulating mitochondrial transport of ATP-binding cassette B8.
  8. Mitochondria-dependent phase separation of disease-relevant proteins drives pathological features of age-related macular degeneration.
  9. MICOS and the mitochondrial inner membrane morphology - when things get out of shape.
  10. Neural stem cells traffic functional mitochondria via extracellular vesicles.
  11. Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier Subunits Are Essential for Pyruvate-Driven Respiration, Infectivity, and Intracellular Replication of Trypanosoma cruzi.
  12. DNMT1 maintains metabolic fitness of adipocytes through acting as an epigenetic safeguard of mitochondrial dynamics.
  13. Coding and non-coding roles of MOCCI (C15ORF48) coordinate to regulate host inflammation and immunity.
  14. Avian red blood cell mitochondria produce more heat in winter than in autumn.
  15. Myofibril and mitochondria morphogenesis are coordinated by a mechanical feedback mechanism in muscle.
  16. Exploiting pyocyanin to treat mitochondrial disease due to respiratory complex III dysfunction.
  17. The MicroRNA miR-696 is Regulated by SNARK and Reduces Mitochondrial Activity in Mouse Skeletal Muscle Through Pgc1α Inhibition.
  1. Sci Adv. 2021 Apr;pii: eabg4544. [Epub ahead of print]7(15):
    AMPK/ULK1-mediated phosphorylation of Parkin ACT domain mediates an early step in mitophagy.
    Chien-Min Hung, Portia S Lombardo, Nazma Malik, Sonja N Brun, Kristina Hellberg, Jeanine L Van Nostrand, Daniel Garcia, Joshua Baumgart, Ken Diffenderfer, John M Asara, Reuben J Shaw.
      The serine/threonine kinase ULK1 mediates autophagy initiation in response to various cellular stresses, and genetic deletion of ULK1 leads to accumulation of damaged mitochondria. Here we identify Parkin, the core ubiquitin ligase in mitophagy, and PARK2 gene product mutated in familial Parkinson's disease, as a ULK1 substrate. Recent studies uncovered a nine residue ("ACT") domain important for Parkin activation, and we demonstrate that AMPK-dependent ULK1 rapidly phosphorylates conserved serine108 in the ACT domain in response to mitochondrial stress. Phosphorylation of Parkin Ser108 occurs maximally within five minutes of mitochondrial damage, unlike activation of PINK1 and TBK1, which is observed thirty to sixty minutes later. Mutation of the ULK1 phosphorylation sites in Parkin, genetic AMPK or ULK1 depletion, or pharmacologic ULK1 inhibition, all lead to delays in Parkin activation and defects in assays of Parkin function and downstream mitophagy events. These findings reveal an unexpected first step in the mitophagy cascade.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abg4544
  2. Nat Metab. 2021 Apr 08.
    Mitochondrial NADP+ is essential for proline biosynthesis during cell growth.
    Diem H Tran, Rushendhiran Kesavan, Halie Rion, Mona Hoseini Soflaee, Ashley Solmonson, Divya Bezwada, Hieu S Vu, Feng Cai, John A Phillips, Ralph J DeBerardinis, Gerta Hoxhaj.
      Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) is vital to produce NADPH, a principal supplier of reducing power for biosynthesis of macromolecules and protection against oxidative stress. NADPH exists in separate pools, in both the cytosol and mitochondria; however, the cellular functions of mitochondrial NADPH are incompletely described. Here, we find that decreasing mitochondrial NADP(H) levels through depletion of NAD kinase 2 (NADK2), an enzyme responsible for production of mitochondrial NADP+, renders cells uniquely proline auxotrophic. Cells with NADK2 deletion fail to synthesize proline, due to mitochondrial NADPH deficiency. We uncover the requirement of mitochondrial NADPH and NADK2 activity for the generation of the pyrroline-5-carboxylate metabolite intermediate as the bottleneck step in the proline biosynthesis pathway. Notably, after NADK2 deletion, proline is required to support nucleotide and protein synthesis, making proline essential for the growth and proliferation of NADK2-deficient cells. Thus, we highlight proline auxotrophy in mammalian cells and discover that mitochondrial NADPH is essential to enable proline biosynthesis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-021-00374-y
  3. Nat Metab. 2021 Apr 08.
    Respiratory complex and tissue lineage drive recurrent mutations in tumour mtDNA.
    Alexander N Gorelick, Minsoo Kim, Walid K Chatila, Konnor La, A Ari Hakimi, Michael F Berger, Barry S Taylor, Payam A Gammage, Ed Reznik.
      Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes protein subunits and translational machinery required for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Using repurposed whole-exome sequencing data, in the present study we demonstrate that pathogenic mtDNA mutations arise in tumours at a rate comparable to those in the most common cancer driver genes. We identify OXPHOS complexes as critical determinants shaping somatic mtDNA mutation patterns across tumour lineages. Loss-of-function mutations accumulate at an elevated rate specifically in complex I and often arise at specific homopolymeric hotspots. In contrast, complex V is depleted of all non-synonymous mutations, suggesting that impairment of ATP synthesis and mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation are under negative selection. Common truncating mutations and rarer missense alleles are both associated with a pan-lineage transcriptional programme, even in cancer types where mtDNA mutations are comparatively rare. Pathogenic mutations of mtDNA are associated with substantial increases in overall survival of colorectal cancer patients, demonstrating a clear functional relationship between genotype and phenotype. The mitochondrial genome is therefore frequently and functionally disrupted across many cancers, with major implications for patient stratification, prognosis and therapeutic development.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-021-00378-8
  4. Cell Rep. 2021 Apr 06. pii: S2211-1247(21)00250-3. [Epub ahead of print]35(1): 108936
    The chaperone-binding activity of the mitochondrial surface receptor Tom70 protects the cytosol against mitoprotein-induced stress.
    Sandra Backes, Yury S Bykov, Tamara Flohr, Markus Räschle, Jialin Zhou, Svenja Lenhard, Lena Krämer, Timo Mühlhaus, Chen Bibi, Cosimo Jann, Justin D Smith, Lars M Steinmetz, Doron Rapaport, Zuzana Storchová, Maya Schuldiner, Felix Boos, Johannes M Herrmann.
      Most mitochondrial proteins are synthesized as precursors in the cytosol and post-translationally transported into mitochondria. The mitochondrial surface protein Tom70 acts at the interface of the cytosol and mitochondria. In vitro import experiments identified Tom70 as targeting receptor, particularly for hydrophobic carriers. Using in vivo methods and high-content screens, we revisit the question of Tom70 function and considerably expand the set of Tom70-dependent mitochondrial proteins. We demonstrate that the crucial activity of Tom70 is its ability to recruit cytosolic chaperones to the outer membrane. Indeed, tethering an unrelated chaperone-binding domain onto the mitochondrial surface complements most of the defects caused by Tom70 deletion. Tom70-mediated chaperone recruitment reduces the proteotoxicity of mitochondrial precursor proteins, particularly of hydrophobic inner membrane proteins. Thus, our work suggests that the predominant function of Tom70 is to tether cytosolic chaperones to the outer mitochondrial membrane, rather than to serve as a mitochondrion-specifying targeting receptor.
    Keywords:  Tom70; chaperones; mitochondria; outer membrane; protein translocation; proteostasis; prototoxicity
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108936
  5. Life Sci Alliance. 2021 Jun;pii: e202000806. [Epub ahead of print]4(6):
    Mitochondrial Aurora kinase A induces mitophagy by interacting with MAP1LC3 and Prohibitin 2.
    Giulia Bertolin, Marie-Clotilde Alves-Guerra, Angélique Cheron, Agnès Burel, Claude Prigent, Roland Le Borgne, Marc Tramier.
      Epithelial and haematologic tumours often show the overexpression of the serine/threonine kinase AURKA. Recently, AURKA was shown to localise at mitochondria, where it regulates mitochondrial dynamics and ATP production. Here we define the molecular mechanisms of AURKA in regulating mitochondrial turnover by mitophagy. AURKA triggers the degradation of Inner Mitochondrial Membrane/matrix proteins by interacting with core components of the autophagy pathway. On the inner mitochondrial membrane, the kinase forms a tripartite complex with MAP1LC3 and the mitophagy receptor PHB2, which triggers mitophagy in a PARK2/Parkin-independent manner. The formation of the tripartite complex is induced by the phosphorylation of PHB2 on Ser39, which is required for MAP1LC3 to interact with PHB2. Last, treatment with the PHB2 ligand xanthohumol blocks AURKA-induced mitophagy by destabilising the tripartite complex and restores normal ATP production levels. Altogether, these data provide evidence for a role of AURKA in promoting mitophagy through the interaction with PHB2 and MAP1LC3. This work paves the way to the use of function-specific pharmacological inhibitors to counteract the effects of the overexpression of AURKA in cancer.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202000806
  6. EMBO Rep. 2021 Apr 06. e51532
    The mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake regulator, MICU1, is involved in cold stress-induced ferroptosis.
    Toshitaka Nakamura, Motoyuki Ogawa, Kazuki Kojima, Saki Takayanagi, Shunya Ishihara, Kazuki Hattori, Isao Naguro, Hidenori Ichijo.
      Ferroptosis has recently attracted much interest because of its relevance to human diseases such as cancer and ischemia-reperfusion injury. We have reported that prolonged severe cold stress induces lipid peroxidation-dependent ferroptosis, but the upstream mechanism remains unknown. Here, using genome-wide CRISPR screening, we found that a mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake regulator, mitochondrial calcium uptake 1 (MICU1), is required for generating lipid peroxide and subsequent ferroptosis under cold stress. Furthermore, the gatekeeping activity of MICU1 through mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is suggested to be indispensable for cold stress-induced ferroptosis. MICU1 is required for mitochondrial Ca2+ increase, hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and subsequent lipid peroxidation under cold stress. Collectively, these findings suggest that the MICU1-dependent mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis-MMP hyperpolarization axis is involved in cold stress-induced lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis.
    Keywords:  CRISPR screening; Ca2+; MICU1; cold stress-induced ferroptosis; mitochondria
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202051532
  7. Elife. 2021 Apr 09. pii: e65158. [Epub ahead of print]10
    Augmenter of Liver Regeneration regulates cellular iron homeostatis by modulating mitochondrial transport of ATP-binding cassette B8.
    Hsiang-Chun Chang, Jason Solomon Shapiro, Xinghang Jiang, Grant Senyei, Teruki Sato, Justin Geier, Konrad T Sawicki, Hossein Ardehali.
      Chronic loss of Augmenter of Liver Regeneration (ALR) results in mitochondrial myopathy with cataracts, however, the mechanism for this disorder remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that loss of ALR, a principal component of the MIA40/ALR protein import pathway, results in impaired cytosolic Fe/S cluster biogenesis in mammalian cells. Mechanistically, MIA40/ALR facilitates the mitochondrial import of ATP binding cassette (ABC)-B8, an inner mitochondrial membrane protein required for cytoplasmic Fe/S cluster maturation, through physical interaction with ABCB8. Downregulation of ALR impairs mitochondrial ABCB8 import, reduces cytoplasmic Fe/S cluster maturation, and increases cellular iron through the iron regulatory protein-iron response element system. Our finding provides a mechanistic link between MIA40/ALR import machinery and cytosolic Fe/S cluster maturation through the mitochondrial import of ABCB8, and offers a potential explanation for the pathology seen in patients with ALR mutations.
    Keywords:  cell biology; human; medicine
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.65158
  8. JCI Insight. 2021 Apr 06. pii: 142254. [Epub ahead of print]
    Mitochondria-dependent phase separation of disease-relevant proteins drives pathological features of age-related macular degeneration.
    Nilsa La Cunza, Li Xuan Tan, Thushara Thamban, Colin J Germer, Gurugirijha Rathnasamy, Kimberly Toops, Aparna Lakkaraju.
      Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) damages the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the tissue that safeguards photoreceptor health, leading to irreversible vision loss. Polymorphisms in cholesterol and complement genes are implicated in AMD, yet mechanisms linking risk variants to RPE injury remain unclear. We sought to determine how allelic variants in the apolipoprotein E cholesterol transporter modulate RPE homeostasis and function. Using live-cell imaging, we show that inefficient cholesterol transport by the AMD risk-associated ApoE2 increases RPE ceramide, leading to autophagic defects and complement-mediated mitochondrial damage. Mitochondrial injury drives redox state-sensitive cysteine-mediated phase separation of ApoE2, forming biomolecular condensates that could nucleate drusen. The protective ApoE4 isoform lacks these cysteines and is resistant to phase separation and condensate formation. In Abca4-/- Stargardt macular degeneration mice, mitochondrial dysfunction induces liquid-liquid phase separation of p62/SQSTM1, a multifunctional protein that regulates autophagy. Drugs that decrease RPE cholesterol or ceramide prevent mitochondrial injury and phase separation in vitro and in vivo. In AMD donor RPE, mitochondrial fragmentation correlates with ApoE and p62 condensates. Our studies demonstrate that major AMD genetic and biological risk pathways converge upon RPE mitochondria, and identify mitochondrial stress-mediated protein phase separation as an important pathogenic mechanism and promising therapeutic target in AMD.
    Keywords:  Cholesterol; Complement; Ophthalmology; Retinopathy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.142254
  9. FEBS Lett. 2021 Apr 10.
    MICOS and the mitochondrial inner membrane morphology - when things get out of shape.
    Indrani Mukherjee, Mausumi Ghosh, Michael Meinecke.
      Mitochondria play a key role in cellular signalling, metabolism and energetics. Proper architecture and remodelling of the inner mitochondrial membrane are essential for efficient respiration, apoptosis and quality control in the cell. Several protein complexes including mitochondrial contact site and cristae organising system (MICOS), F1 FO -ATP synthase, and Optic Atrophy 1 (OPA1), facilitate formation, maintenance and stability of cristae membranes. MICOS, the F1 FO -ATP synthase, OPA1 and inner membrane phospholipids such as cardiolipin and phosphatidylethanolamine interact with each other to organise the inner membrane ultra-structure and remodel cristae in response to the cell's demands. Functional alterations in these proteins or in the biosynthesis pathway of cardiolipin and phosphatidylethanolamine result in an aberrant inner membrane architecture and impair mitochondrial function. Mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormalities hallmark several human conditions and diseases including neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathies and diabetes mellitus. Yet, they have long been regarded as secondary pathological effects. This review discusses emerging evidence of a direct relationship between protein- and lipid-dependent regulation of the inner mitochondrial membrane morphology and diseases such as fatal encephalopathy, Leigh syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and cancer.
    Keywords:  ATP synthase; MICOS; Mitochondria; Opa1; membrane dynamics; membrane morphology; mitochondrial morphology; mitochondrial ultra-structure
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.14089
  10. PLoS Biol. 2021 Apr 07. 19(4): e3001166
    Neural stem cells traffic functional mitochondria via extracellular vesicles.
    Luca Peruzzotti-Jametti, Joshua D Bernstock, Cory M Willis, Giulia Manferrari, Rebecca Rogall, Erika Fernandez-Vizarra, James C Williamson, Alice Braga, Aletta van den Bosch, Tommaso Leonardi, Grzegorz Krzak, Ágnes Kittel, Cristiane Benincá, Nunzio Vicario, Sisareuth Tan, Carlos Bastos, Iacopo Bicci, Nunzio Iraci, Jayden A Smith, Ben Peacock, Karin H Muller, Paul J Lehner, Edit Iren Buzas, Nuno Faria, Massimo Zeviani, Christian Frezza, Alain Brisson, Nicholas J Matheson, Carlo Viscomi, Stefano Pluchino.
      Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation induces recovery in animal models of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Although the replacement of lost endogenous cells was originally proposed as the primary healing mechanism of NSC grafts, it is now clear that transplanted NSCs operate via multiple mechanisms, including the horizontal exchange of therapeutic cargoes to host cells via extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are membrane particles trafficking nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites and metabolic enzymes, lipids, and entire organelles. However, the function and the contribution of these cargoes to the broad therapeutic effects of NSCs are yet to be fully understood. Mitochondrial dysfunction is an established feature of several inflammatory and degenerative CNS disorders, most of which are potentially treatable with exogenous stem cell therapeutics. Herein, we investigated the hypothesis that NSCs release and traffic functional mitochondria via EVs to restore mitochondrial function in target cells. Untargeted proteomics revealed a significant enrichment of mitochondrial proteins spontaneously released by NSCs in EVs. Morphological and functional analyses confirmed the presence of ultrastructurally intact mitochondria within EVs with conserved membrane potential and respiration. We found that the transfer of these mitochondria from EVs to mtDNA-deficient L929 Rho0 cells rescued mitochondrial function and increased Rho0 cell survival. Furthermore, the incorporation of mitochondria from EVs into inflammatory mononuclear phagocytes restored normal mitochondrial dynamics and cellular metabolism and reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory markers in target cells. When transplanted in an animal model of multiple sclerosis, exogenous NSCs actively transferred mitochondria to mononuclear phagocytes and induced a significant amelioration of clinical deficits. Our data provide the first evidence that NSCs deliver functional mitochondria to target cells via EVs, paving the way for the development of novel (a)cellular approaches aimed at restoring mitochondrial dysfunction not only in multiple sclerosis, but also in degenerative neurological diseases.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001166
  11. mBio. 2021 04 06. pii: e00540-21. [Epub ahead of print]12(2):
    Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier Subunits Are Essential for Pyruvate-Driven Respiration, Infectivity, and Intracellular Replication of Trypanosoma cruzi.
    Raquel S Negreiros, Noelia Lander, Miguel A Chiurillo, Anibal E Vercesi, Roberto Docampo.
      Pyruvate is the final metabolite of glycolysis and can be converted into acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) in mitochondria, where it is used as the substrate for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Pyruvate availability in mitochondria depends on its active transport through the heterocomplex formed by the mitochondrial pyruvate carriers 1 and 2 (MPC1/MPC2). We report here studies on MPC1/MPC2 of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. Endogenous tagging of T. cruzi MPC1 (TcMPC1) and TcMPC2 with 3×c-Myc showed that both encoded proteins colocalize with MitoTracker to the mitochondria of epimastigotes. Individual knockout (KO) of TcMPC1 and TcMPC2 genes using CRISPR/Cas9 was confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analyses. Digitonin-permeabilized TcMPC1-KO and TcMPC2-KO epimastigotes showed reduced O2 consumption rates when pyruvate, but not succinate, was used as the mitochondrial substrate, while α-ketoglutarate increased their O2 consumption rates due to an increase in α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activity. Defective mitochondrial pyruvate import resulted in decreased Ca2+ uptake. The inhibitors UK5099 and malonate impaired pyruvate-driven oxygen consumption in permeabilized control cells. Inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase by malonate indicated that pyruvate needs to be converted into succinate to increase respiration. TcMPC1-KO and TcMPC2-KO epimastigotes showed little growth differences in standard or low-glucose culture medium. However, the ability of trypomastigotes to infect tissue culture cells and replicate as intracellular amastigotes was decreased in TcMPC-KOs. Overall, T. cruzi MPC1 and MPC2 are essential for cellular respiration in the presence of pyruvate, invasion of host cells, and replication of amastigotes.IMPORTANCE Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease. Pyruvate is the end product of glycolysis, and its transport into the mitochondrion is mediated by the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) subunits. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique, we generated individual T. cruzi MPC1 (TcMPC1) and TcMPC2 knockouts and demonstrated that they are essential for pyruvate-driven respiration. Interestingly, although glycolysis was reported as not an important source of energy for the infective stages, MPC was essential for normal host cell invasion and intracellular replication.
    Keywords:  Trypanosoma cruzi; mitochondria; oxygen consumption; pyruvate carrier
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00540-21
  12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Mar 16. pii: e2021073118. [Epub ahead of print]118(11):
    DNMT1 maintains metabolic fitness of adipocytes through acting as an epigenetic safeguard of mitochondrial dynamics.
    Yoon Jeong Park, Sangseon Lee, Sangsoo Lim, Hahn Nahmgoong, Yul Ji, Jin Young Huh, Assim A Alfadda, Sun Kim, Jae Bum Kim.
      White adipose tissue (WAT) is a key regulator of systemic energy metabolism, and impaired WAT plasticity characterized by enlargement of preexisting adipocytes associates with WAT dysfunction, obesity, and metabolic complications. However, the mechanisms that retain proper adipose tissue plasticity required for metabolic fitness are unclear. Here, we comprehensively showed that adipocyte-specific DNA methylation, manifested in enhancers and CTCF sites, directs distal enhancer-mediated transcriptomic features required to conserve metabolic functions of white adipocytes. Particularly, genetic ablation of adipocyte Dnmt1, the major methylation writer, led to increased adiposity characterized by increased adipocyte hypertrophy along with reduced expansion of adipocyte precursors (APs). These effects of Dnmt1 deficiency provoked systemic hyperlipidemia and impaired energy metabolism both in lean and obese mice. Mechanistically, Dnmt1 deficiency abrogated mitochondrial bioenergetics by inhibiting mitochondrial fission and promoted aberrant lipid metabolism in adipocytes, rendering adipocyte hypertrophy and WAT dysfunction. Dnmt1-dependent DNA methylation prevented aberrant CTCF binding and, in turn, sustained the proper chromosome architecture to permit interactions between enhancer and dynamin-1-like protein gene Dnm1l (Drp1) in adipocytes. Also, adipose DNMT1 expression inversely correlated with adiposity and markers of metabolic health but positively correlated with AP-specific markers in obese human subjects. Thus, these findings support strategies utilizing Dnmt1 action on mitochondrial bioenergetics in adipocytes to combat obesity and related metabolic pathology.
    Keywords:  DNA methylation; adiposity; chromosome structure; metabolic disease; mitochondria
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2021073118
  13. Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 09. 12(1): 2130
    Coding and non-coding roles of MOCCI (C15ORF48) coordinate to regulate host inflammation and immunity.
    Cheryl Q E Lee, Baptiste Kerouanton, Sonia Chothani, Shan Zhang, Ying Chen, Chinmay Kumar Mantri, Daniella Helena Hock, Radiance Lim, Rhea Nadkarni, Vinh Thang Huynh, Daryl Lim, Wei Leong Chew, Franklin L Zhong, David Arthur Stroud, Sebastian Schafer, Vinay Tergaonkar, Ashley L St John, Owen J L Rackham, Lena Ho.
      Mito-SEPs are small open reading frame-encoded peptides that localize to the mitochondria to regulate metabolism. Motivated by an intriguing negative association between mito-SEPs and inflammation, here we screen for mito-SEPs that modify inflammatory outcomes and report a mito-SEP named "Modulator of cytochrome C oxidase during Inflammation" (MOCCI) that is upregulated during inflammation and infection to promote host-protective resolution. MOCCI, a paralog of the NDUFA4 subunit of cytochrome C oxidase (Complex IV), replaces NDUFA4 in Complex IV during inflammation to lower mitochondrial membrane potential and reduce ROS production, leading to cyto-protection and dampened immune response. The MOCCI transcript also generates miR-147b, which targets the NDUFA4 mRNA with similar immune dampening effects as MOCCI, but simultaneously enhances RIG-I/MDA-5-mediated viral immunity. Our work uncovers a dual-component pleiotropic regulation of host inflammation and immunity by MOCCI (C15ORF48) for safeguarding the host during infection and inflammation.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22397-5
  14. FASEB J. 2021 May;35(5): e21490
    Avian red blood cell mitochondria produce more heat in winter than in autumn.
    Andreas Nord, Neil B Metcalfe, Jennifer L Page, Anna Huxtable, Dominic J McCafferty, Neal J Dawson.
      Endotherms in cold regions improve heat-producing capacity when preparing for winter. We know comparatively little about how this change is fueled by seasonal adaptation in cellular respiration. Thus, we studied the changes of mitochondrial function in red blood cells in sympatric Coal (Periparus ater), Blue (Cyanistes caeruleus), and Great (Parus major) tits between autumn and winter. These species differ more than twofold in body mass and in several aspects of their foraging ecology and social dominance, which could require differential seasonal adaptation of energy expenditure. Coal and Great tits in particular upregulated the mitochondrial respiration rate and mitochondrial volume in winter. This was not directed toward ATP synthesis, instead reflecting increased uncoupling of electron transport from ATP production. Because uncoupling is exothermic, this increased heat-producing capacity at the sub-cellular level in winter. This previously unexplored the route of thermogenesis in birds should be addressed in future work.
    Keywords:  cellular metabolism; erythrocyte; overwintering; oxygen consumption; thermal biology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202100107R
  15. Nat Commun. 2021 04 07. 12(1): 2091
    Myofibril and mitochondria morphogenesis are coordinated by a mechanical feedback mechanism in muscle.
    Jerome Avellaneda, Clement Rodier, Fabrice Daian, Nicolas Brouilly, Thomas Rival, Nuno Miguel Luis, Frank Schnorrer.
      Complex animals build specialised muscles to match specific biomechanical and energetic needs. Hence, composition and architecture of sarcomeres and mitochondria are muscle type specific. However, mechanisms coordinating mitochondria with sarcomere morphogenesis are elusive. Here we use Drosophila muscles to demonstrate that myofibril and mitochondria morphogenesis are intimately linked. In flight muscles, the muscle selector spalt instructs mitochondria to intercalate between myofibrils, which in turn mechanically constrain mitochondria into elongated shapes. Conversely in cross-striated leg muscles, mitochondria networks surround myofibril bundles, contacting myofibrils only with thin extensions. To investigate the mechanism causing these differences, we manipulated mitochondrial dynamics and found that increased mitochondrial fusion during myofibril assembly prevents mitochondrial intercalation in flight muscles. Strikingly, this causes the expression of cross-striated muscle specific sarcomeric proteins. Consequently, flight muscle myofibrils convert towards a partially cross-striated architecture. Together, these data suggest a biomechanical feedback mechanism downstream of spalt synchronizing mitochondria with myofibril morphogenesis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22058-7
  16. Nat Commun. 2021 04 08. 12(1): 2103
    Exploiting pyocyanin to treat mitochondrial disease due to respiratory complex III dysfunction.
    Roberta Peruzzo, Samantha Corrà, Roberto Costa, Michele Brischigliaro, Tatiana Varanita, Lucia Biasutto, Chiara Rampazzo, Daniele Ghezzi, Luigi Leanza, Mario Zoratti, Massimo Zeviani, Cristiano De Pittà, Carlo Viscomi, Rodolfo Costa, Ildikò Szabò.
      Mitochondrial diseases impair oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production, while effective treatment is still lacking. Defective complex III is associated with a highly variable clinical spectrum. We show that pyocyanin, a bacterial redox cycler, can replace the redox functions of complex III, acting as an electron shunt. Sub-μM pyocyanin was harmless, restored respiration and increased ATP production in fibroblasts from five patients harboring pathogenic mutations in TTC19, BCS1L or LYRM7, involved in assembly/stabilization of complex III. Pyocyanin normalized the mitochondrial membrane potential, and mildly increased ROS production and biogenesis. These in vitro effects were confirmed in both DrosophilaTTC19KO and in Danio rerioTTC19KD, as administration of low concentrations of pyocyanin significantly ameliorated movement proficiency. Importantly, daily administration of pyocyanin for two months was not toxic in control mice. Our results point to utilization of redox cyclers for therapy of complex III disorders.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22062-x
  17. Mol Metab. 2021 Mar 31. pii: S2212-8778(21)00071-5. [Epub ahead of print] 101226
    The MicroRNA miR-696 is Regulated by SNARK and Reduces Mitochondrial Activity in Mouse Skeletal Muscle Through Pgc1α Inhibition.
    André L Queiroz, Sarah J Lessard, Amanda T Ouchida, Hygor N Araujo, Dawit A Gonçalves, Dimitrius Santiago P Simões Fróes Guimarães, Bruno G Teodoro, Kawai So, Enilza M Espreafico, Michael F Hirshman, Luciane C Alberici, Isis do Carmo Kettelhut, Laurie J Goodyear, Leonardo R Silveira.
      MicroRNAs (miRNA) are known to regulate expression of genes involved in several physiological processes including metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis, proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. Using "in silico" analyses, we identified 219 unique miRNAs that potentially bind to the 3'UTR region of a critical mitochondrial regulator, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator (PGC) 1 alpha (Pgc1α). Out of the 219 candidate miRNAs, miR-696 had one of the highest interactions at the 3'UTR of Pgc1α, suggesting that miR-696 may be involved in the regulation of Pgc1α. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that miR-696 was highly expressed in the skeletal muscle of both STZ-induced diabetic mice and chronic high-fat fed mice. C2C12 muscle cells exposed to palmitic acid also exhibited higher expression of miR-696. This increased expression corresponded with reduced expression of oxidative metabolism genes and reduced mitochondrial respiration. Importantly, reduction of miR-696 reversed decreases in mitochondrial activity in response to palmitic acid. Using C2C12 cells treated with the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator AICAR and skeletal muscle from AMPKα2 dominant negative (DN) mice, we found that the signaling mechanism regulating miR-696 does not involve AMPK. In contrast, overexpression of SNF1-AMPK-related kinase (SNARK) in C2C12 cells increased miR-696 transcription while the knockdown of SNARK significantly decreased miR-696. Moreover, muscle-specific transgenic mice overexpressing SNARK exhibited lower expression of Pgc1α, elevated levels of miR-696, and reduced amounts of spontaneous activity. Our findings demonstrate that metabolic stress increases miR-696 expression in skeletal muscle cells, which in turn inhibits Pgc1α, reducing mitochondrial function. SNARK plays a role in this process as a metabolic stress signaling molecule inducing the expression of miR-696.
    Keywords:  SNARK; and Pgc1α; miR-696; mitochondrial function; skeletal muscle
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101226
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