bims-mitdyn 2021-11-07 papers

bims-mitdyn

Biomed News

on Mitochondrial dynamics: mechanisms

Issue of 2021–11–07
twenty papers selected by
Edmond Chan, Queen’s University, School of Medicine

ND3 Cys39 in complex I is exposed during mitochondrial respiration.
Disruption of mitochondrial complex I induces progressive parkinsonism.
Mice with disrupted mitochondria used to model Parkinson's disease.
PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and Parkin: Unlocking a mitochondrial quality control pathway linked to Parkinson's disease.
Mitochondrial-nuclear cross-talk in the human brain is modulated by cell type and perturbed in neurodegenerative disease.
Regulatory T cell differentiation is controlled by αKG-induced alterations in mitochondrial metabolism and lipid homeostasis.
Mitochondrial respiration contributes to the interferon gamma response in antigen presenting cells.
Microbiota-derived acetate enables the metabolic fitness of the brain innate immune system during health and disease.
In-cell structures of conserved supramolecular protein arrays at the mitochondria-cytoskeleton interface in mammalian sperm.
FAK regulates cardiomyocyte mitochondrial fission and function through Drp1.
Role of GM-CSF in regulating metabolism and mitochondrial functions critical to macrophage proliferation.
SENP3 Promotes an Mff-Primed Bcl-x L -Drp1 Interaction Involved in Cell Death Following Ischemia.
Adiponectin receptor agonist AdipoRon blocks skin inflamm-ageing by regulating mitochondrial dynamics.
Newcastle disease virus degrades SIRT3 via PINK1-PRKN-dependent mitophagy to reprogram energy metabolism in infected cells.
Ca2+ imbalance caused by ERdj5 deletion affects mitochondrial fragmentation.
The mitospecific domain of Mrp7 (bL27) supports mitochondrial translation during fermentation and is required for effective adaptation to respiration.
Alternative Mitophagy Protects the Heart Against Obesity-Associated Cardiomyopathy.
Mitochondrial Drp1 recognizes and induces excessive mPTP opening after hypoxia through BAX-PiC and LRRK2-HK2.
Mycobacterium bovis induces mitophagy to suppress host xenophagy for its intracellular survival.
Mitochondrial NDUFA4L2 is a novel regulator of skeletal muscle mass and force.

Cell Chem Biol. 2021 Nov 02. pii: S2451-9456(21)00444-X. [Epub ahead of print]

ND3 Cys39 in complex I is exposed during mitochondrial respiration.

Nils Burger, Andrew M James, John F Mulvey, Kurt Hoogewijs, Shujing Ding, Ian M Fearnley, Marta Loureiro-López, Abigail A I Norman, Sabine Arndt, Amin Mottahedin, Olga Sauchanka, Richard C Hartley, Thomas Krieg, Michael P Murphy.

  Mammalian complex I can adopt catalytically active (A-) or deactive (D-) states. A defining feature of the reversible transition between these two defined states is thought to be exposure of the ND3 subunit Cys39 residue in the D-state and its occlusion in the A-state. As the catalytic A/D transition is important in health and disease, we set out to quantify it by measuring Cys39 exposure using isotopic labeling and mass spectrometry, in parallel with complex I NADH/CoQ oxidoreductase activity. To our surprise, we found significant Cys39 exposure during NADH/CoQ oxidoreductase activity. Furthermore, this activity was unaffected if Cys39 alkylation occurred during complex I-linked respiration. In contrast, alkylation of catalytically inactive complex I irreversibly blocked the reactivation of NADH/CoQ oxidoreductase activity by NADH. Thus, Cys39 of ND3 is exposed in complex I during mitochondrial respiration, with significant implications for our understanding of the A/D transition and the mechanism of complex I.

Keywords:  Cys39; NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase; active/deactive transition; complex I; ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury; mitochondria; redox regulation; reverse electron transport (RET)

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.10.010
Nature. 2021 Nov 03.

Disruption of mitochondrial complex I induces progressive parkinsonism.

Patricia González-Rodríguez, Enrico Zampese, Kristen A Stout, Jaime N Guzman, Ema Ilijic, Ben Yang, Tatiana Tkatch, Mihaela A Stavarache, David L Wokosin, Lin Gao, Michael G Kaplitt, José López-Barneo, Paul T Schumacker, D James Surmeier.

Loss of functional mitochondrial complex I (MCI) in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease1. Yet, whether this change contributes to Parkinson's disease pathogenesis is unclear2. Here we used intersectional genetics to disrupt the function of MCI in mouse dopaminergic neurons. Disruption of MCI induced a Warburg-like shift in metabolism that enabled neuronal survival, but triggered a progressive loss of the dopaminergic phenotype that was first evident in nigrostriatal axons. This axonal deficit was accompanied by motor learning and fine motor deficits, but not by clear levodopa-responsive parkinsonism-which emerged only after the later loss of dopamine release in the substantia nigra. Thus, MCI dysfunction alone is sufficient to cause progressive, human-like parkinsonism in which the loss of nigral dopamine release makes a critical contribution to motor dysfunction, contrary to the current Parkinson's disease paradigm3,4.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04059-0
Nature. 2021 Nov 03.

Mice with disrupted mitochondria used to model Parkinson's disease.

Zak Doric, Ken Nakamura.



Keywords:  Neurodegeneration; Parkinson's disease

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02955-z
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2021 Oct 27. pii: S0959-4388(21)00106-9. [Epub ahead of print]72 111-119

PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and Parkin: Unlocking a mitochondrial quality control pathway linked to Parkinson's disease.

Shalini Agarwal, Miratul M K Muqit.

Dissection of the function of two Parkinson's disease-linked genes encoding the protein kinase, PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and ubiquitin E3 ligase, Parkin, has illuminated a highly conserved mitochondrial quality control pathway found in nearly every cell type including neurons. Mitochondrial damage-induced activation of PINK1 stimulates phosphorylation-dependent activation of Parkin and ubiquitin-dependent elimination of mitochondria by autophagy (mitophagy). Structural, cell biological and neuronal studies are unravelling the key steps of PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy and uncovering new insights into how the pathway is regulated. The emerging role for aberrant immune activation as a driver of dopaminergic neuron degeneration after loss of PINK1 and Parkin poses new exciting questions on cell-autonomous and noncell-autonomous mechanisms of PINK1/Parkin signalling in vivo.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2021.09.005
Commun Biol. 2021 Nov 04. 4(1): 1262

Mitochondrial-nuclear cross-talk in the human brain is modulated by cell type and perturbed in neurodegenerative disease.

Aine Fairbrother-Browne, Aminah T Ali, Regina H Reynolds, Sonia Garcia-Ruiz, David Zhang, Zhongbo Chen, Mina Ryten, Alan Hodgkinson.

Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases. The mitochondrial genome encodes core respiratory chain proteins, but the vast majority of mitochondrial proteins are nuclear-encoded, making interactions between the two genomes vital for cell function. Here, we examine these relationships by comparing mitochondrial and nuclear gene expression across different regions of the human brain in healthy and disease cohorts. We find strong regional patterns that are modulated by cell-type and reflect functional specialisation. Nuclear genes causally implicated in sporadic Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease (AD) show much stronger relationships with the mitochondrial genome than expected by chance, and mitochondrial-nuclear relationships are highly perturbed in AD cases, particularly through synaptic and lysosomal pathways, potentially implicating the regulation of energy balance and removal of dysfunction mitochondria in the etiology or progression of the disease. Finally, we present MitoNuclearCOEXPlorer, a tool to interrogate key mitochondria-nuclear relationships in multi-dimensional brain data.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02792-w
Cell Rep. 2021 Nov 02. pii: S2211-1247(21)01384-X. [Epub ahead of print]37(5): 109911

Regulatory T cell differentiation is controlled by αKG-induced alterations in mitochondrial metabolism and lipid homeostasis.

Maria I Matias, Carmen S Yong, Amir Foroushani, Chloe Goldsmith, Cédric Mongellaz, Erdinc Sezgin, Kandice R Levental, Ali Talebi, Julie Perrault, Anais Rivière, Jonas Dehairs, Océane Delos, Justine Bertand-Michel, Jean-Charles Portais, Madeline Wong, Julien C Marie, Ameeta Kelekar, Sandrina Kinet, Valérie S Zimmermann, Ilya Levental, Laurent Yvan-Charvet, Johannes V Swinnen, Stefan A Muljo, Hector Hernandez-Vargas, Saverio Tardito, Naomi Taylor, Valérie Dardalhon.

  Suppressive regulatory T cell (Treg) differentiation is controlled by diverse immunometabolic signaling pathways and intracellular metabolites. Here we show that cell-permeable α-ketoglutarate (αKG) alters the DNA methylation profile of naive CD4 T cells activated under Treg polarizing conditions, markedly attenuating FoxP3+ Treg differentiation and increasing inflammatory cytokines. Adoptive transfer of these T cells into tumor-bearing mice results in enhanced tumor infiltration, decreased FoxP3 expression, and delayed tumor growth. Mechanistically, αKG leads to an energetic state that is reprogrammed toward a mitochondrial metabolism, with increased oxidative phosphorylation and expression of mitochondrial complex enzymes. Furthermore, carbons from ectopic αKG are directly utilized in the generation of fatty acids, associated with lipidome remodeling and increased triacylglyceride stores. Notably, inhibition of either mitochondrial complex II or DGAT2-mediated triacylglyceride synthesis restores Treg differentiation and decreases the αKG-induced inflammatory phenotype. Thus, we identify a crosstalk between αKG, mitochondrial metabolism and triacylglyceride synthesis that controls Treg fate.

Keywords:  CAR T cells; DNA methylation; T cell differentiation; TCA cycle; Th1; Treg; lipidome; mitochondrial metabolism; triacylglyceride synthesis; α-ketoglutarate

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109911
Elife. 2021 Nov 02. pii: e65109. [Epub ahead of print]10

Mitochondrial respiration contributes to the interferon gamma response in antigen presenting cells.

Michael C Kiritsy, Katelyn McCann, Daniel Mott, Stephen M Holland, Samuel M Behar, Christopher M Sassetti, Andrew J Olive.

  The immunological synapse allows antigen presenting cells (APC) to convey a wide array of functionally distinct signals to T cells, which ultimately shape the immune response. The relative effect of stimulatory and inhibitory signals is influenced by the activation state of the APC, which is determined by an interplay between signal transduction and metabolic pathways. While pathways downstream of toll-like receptors rely on glycolytic metabolism for the proper expression of inflammatory mediators, little is known about the metabolic dependencies of other critical signals such as interferon gamma (IFNg). Using CRISPR-Cas9, we performed a series of genome-wide knockout screens in murine macrophages to identify the regulators of IFNg-inducible T cell stimulatory or inhibitory proteins MHCII, CD40, and PD-L1. Our multi-screen approach enabled us to identify novel pathways that control these functionally distinct markers. Further integration of these screening data implicated complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in the expression of all three markers, and by extension the IFNg signaling pathway. We report that the IFNg response requires mitochondrial respiration, and APCs are unable to activate T cells upon genetic or chemical inhibition of complex I. These findings suggest a dichotomous metabolic dependency between IFNg and toll-like receptor signaling, implicating mitochondrial function as a fulcrum of innate immunity.

Keywords:  human; immunology; inflammation; mouse

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.65109
Cell Metab. 2021 Nov 02. pii: S1550-4131(21)00488-5. [Epub ahead of print]33(11): 2260-2276.e7

Microbiota-derived acetate enables the metabolic fitness of the brain innate immune system during health and disease.

Daniel Erny, Nikolaos Dokalis, Charlotte Mezö, Angela Castoldi, Omar Mossad, Ori Staszewski, Maximilian Frosch, Matteo Villa, Vidmante Fuchs, Arun Mayer, Jana Neuber, Janika Sosat, Stefan Tholen, Oliver Schilling, Andreas Vlachos, Thomas Blank, Mercedes Gomez de Agüero, Andrew J Macpherson, Edward J Pearce, Marco Prinz.

  As tissue macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), microglia constitute the pivotal immune cells of this organ. Microglial features are strongly dependent on environmental cues such as commensal microbiota. Gut bacteria are known to continuously modulate microglia maturation and function by the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). However, the precise mechanism of this crosstalk is unknown. Here we determined that the immature phenotype of microglia from germ-free (GF) mice is epigenetically imprinted by H3K4me3 and H3K9ac on metabolic genes associated with substantial functional alterations including increased mitochondrial mass and specific respiratory chain dysfunctions. We identified acetate as the essential microbiome-derived SCFA driving microglia maturation and regulating the homeostatic metabolic state, and further showed that it is able to modulate microglial phagocytosis and disease progression during neurodegeneration. These findings indicate that acetate is an essential bacteria-derived molecule driving metabolic pathways and functions of microglia during health and perturbation.

Keywords:  Alzheimer’s disease; SCFA; acetate; germ-free; metabolism; microbiota; microglia; mitochondria; respiratory chain

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.10.010
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Nov 09. pii: e2110996118. [Epub ahead of print]118(45):

In-cell structures of conserved supramolecular protein arrays at the mitochondria-cytoskeleton interface in mammalian sperm.

Miguel Ricardo Leung, Riccardo Zenezini Chiozzi, Marc C Roelofs, Johannes F Hevler, Ravi Teja Ravi, Paula Maitan, Min Zhang, Heiko Henning, Elizabeth G Bromfield, Stuart C Howes, Bart M Gadella, Albert J R Heck, Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai.

  Mitochondria-cytoskeleton interactions modulate cellular physiology by regulating mitochondrial transport, positioning, and immobilization. However, there is very little structural information defining mitochondria-cytoskeleton interfaces in any cell type. Here, we use cryofocused ion beam milling-enabled cryoelectron tomography to image mammalian sperm, where mitochondria wrap around the flagellar cytoskeleton. We find that mitochondria are tethered to their neighbors through intermitochondrial linkers and are anchored to the cytoskeleton through ordered arrays on the outer mitochondrial membrane. We use subtomogram averaging to resolve in-cell structures of these arrays from three mammalian species, revealing they are conserved across species despite variations in mitochondrial dimensions and cristae organization. We find that the arrays consist of boat-shaped particles anchored on a network of membrane pores whose arrangement and dimensions are consistent with voltage-dependent anion channels. Proteomics and in-cell cross-linking mass spectrometry suggest that the conserved arrays are composed of glycerol kinase-like proteins. Ordered supramolecular assemblies may serve to stabilize similar contact sites in other cell types in which mitochondria need to be immobilized in specific subcellular environments, such as in muscles and neurons.

Keywords:  cross-linking mass spectrometry; cryo-FIB milling; cryoelectron tomography; mitochondria–cytoskeleton contacts; subtomogram averaging

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2110996118
FEBS J. 2021 Nov 05.

FAK regulates cardiomyocyte mitochondrial fission and function through Drp1.

Yu-Wang Chang, Zong-Han Song, Chien-Chang Chen.

  Loss of the mitochondrial fission enzyme dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) in cardiomyocytes results in energy shortage and heart failure. We aim to understand the intracellular signal pathway and extracellular factors regulating Drp1 phosphorylation and mitochondrial morphology and function in cardiomyocytes. We found cyclic mechanical stretching induced mitochondrial fission through Drp1 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). FAK regulated phosphorylation of Drp1 and mitochondrial Drp1 levels. Extracellular fibronectin activated Drp1 and caused mitochondrial fission through FAK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Fibronectin increased NRVMs oxygen consumption rate and ATP content via FAK-ERK1/2-Drp1. Inhibition of the FAK-ERK1/2-Drp1 pathway caused cellular energy shortage. In addition, the FAK-ERK1/2-Drp1 pathway was rapidly activated by adrenergic agonists and contributed to agonists-stimulated NRVMs respiration. Interestingly, fibronectin limited the adrenergic agonists-induced NRVMs respiration by restricting phosphorylation of Drp1. Our results suggest that extracellular fibronectin and adrenergic stimulations use the FAK-ERK1/2-Drp1 pathway to regulate mitochondrial morphology and function in cardiomyocytes.

Keywords:  Drp1; FAK; fibronectin; mitochondrial fission

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.16263
Mitochondrion. 2021 Nov 02. pii: S1567-7249(21)00149-5. [Epub ahead of print]

Role of GM-CSF in regulating metabolism and mitochondrial functions critical to macrophage proliferation.

Matthew Wessendarp, Miki Watanabe-Chailland, Serena Liu, Traci Stankiewicz, Yan Ma, Rajesh K Kasam, Kenjiro Shima, Claudia Chalk, Brenna Carey, Lindsey-Romick Rosendale, Marie Dominique Filippi, Paritha Arumugam.

  Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) exerts pleiotropic effects on macrophages and is required for self-renewal but the mechanisms responsible are unknown. Using mouse models with disrupted GM-CSF signaling, we show GM-CSF is critical for mitochondrial turnover, functions, and integrity. GM-CSF signaling is essential for fatty acid β-oxidation and markedly increased tricarboxylic acid cycle activity, oxidative phosphorylation, and ATP production. GM-CSF also regulated cytosolic pathways including glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and amino acid synthesis. We conclude that GM-CSF regulates macrophages in part through a critical role in maintaining mitochondria, which are necessary for cellular metabolism as well as proliferation and self-renewal.

Keywords:  GM-CSF; apoptosis; fatty acid oxidation; macrophage metabolism; mitochondrial functions; self-renewal

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mito.2021.10.009
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 ;9 752260

SENP3 Promotes an Mff-Primed Bcl-x L -Drp1 Interaction Involved in Cell Death Following Ischemia.

Chun Guo, Keri L Hildick, Juwei Jiang, Alice Zhao, Wenbin Guo, Jeremy M Henley, Kevin A Wilkinson.

  Dysregulation of the mitochondrial fission machinery has been linked to cell death following ischemia. Fission is largely dependent on recruitment of Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) to the receptor Mitochondrial fission factor (Mff) located on the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM). Drp1 is a target for SUMOylation and its deSUMOylation, mediated by the SUMO protease SENP3, enhances the Drp1-Mff interaction to promote cell death in an oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) model of ischemia. Another interacting partner for Drp1 is the Bcl-2 family member Bcl-x L , an important protein in cell death and survival pathways. Here we demonstrate that preventing Drp1 SUMOylation by mutating its SUMO target lysines enhances the Drp1-Bcl-x L interaction in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, SENP3-mediated deSUMOylation of Drp1 promotes the Drp1-Bcl-x L interaction. Our data suggest that Mff primes Drp1 binding to Bcl-x L at the mitochondria and that Mff and Bcl-x L can interact directly, independent of Drp1, through their transmembrane domains. Importantly, SENP3 loss in cells subjected to OGD correlates with reduced Drp1-Bcl-x L interaction, whilst recovery of SENP3 levels in cells subjected to reoxygenation following OGD correlates with increased Drp1-Bcl-x L interaction. Expressing a Bcl-x L mutant with defective Drp1 binding reduces OGD plus reoxygenation-evoked cell death. Taken together, our results indicate that SENP3-mediated deSUMOlyation promotes an Mff-primed Drp1-Bcl-x L interaction that contributes to cell death following ischemia.

Keywords:  Bcl-xL; Drp1; Mff; SENP3; SUMOylation; ischemia

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.752260
Cell Prolif. 2021 Nov 01. e13155

Adiponectin receptor agonist AdipoRon blocks skin inflamm-ageing by regulating mitochondrial dynamics.

Jiachen Sun, Xinzhu Liu, Chuan'an Shen, Wen Zhang, Yuezeng Niu.

   INTRODUCTION: Skin is susceptible to senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and inflamm-ageing partly owing to the degeneration of mitochondria. AdipoRon (AR) has protective effects on mitochondria in metabolic diseases such as diabetes. We explored the role of AR on mitochondria damage induced by skin inflamm-ageing and its underlying mechanism.
METHODS: Western blot, immunofluorescence and TUNEL staining were used to detect inflammatory factors and apoptosis during skin ageing. Transmission electron microscopy, ATP determination kit, CellLight Mitochondria GFP (Mito-GFP), mitochondrial stress test, MitoSOX and JC-1 staining were used to detect mitochondrial changes. Western blot was applied to explore the underlying mechanism. Flow cytometry, scratch test, Sulforhodamine B assay and wound healing test were used to detect the effects of AR on cell apoptosis, migration and proliferation.
RESULTS: AR attenuated inflammatory factors and apoptosis that increased in aged skin, and improved mitochondrial morphology and function. This process at least partly depended on the suppression of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated excessive mitochondrial division. More specifically, AR up-regulated the phosphorylation of Drp1 at Serine 637 by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), thereby inhibiting the mitochondrial translocation of Drp1. Moreover, AR reduced mitochondrial fragmentation and the production of superoxide, preserved the membrane potential and permeability of mitochondria and accelerated wound healing in aged skin.
CONCLUSION: AR rescues the mitochondria in aged skin by suppressing its excessive division mediated by Drp1.

Keywords:  AdipoRon; Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1); SASP; inflamm-ageing; mitochondria; skin

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/cpr.13155
Autophagy. 2021 Oct 31. 1-19

Newcastle disease virus degrades SIRT3 via PINK1-PRKN-dependent mitophagy to reprogram energy metabolism in infected cells.

Yabin Gong, Ning Tang, Panrao Liu, Yingjie Sun, Shanxin Lu, Weiwei Liu, Lei Tan, Cuiping Song, Xusheng Qiu, Ying Liao, Shengqing Yu, Xiufan Liu, Shu-Hai Lin, Chan Ding.

  Lacking a self-contained metabolism network, viruses have evolved multiple mechanisms for rewiring the metabolic system of their host to hijack the host's metabolic resources for replication. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a paramyxovirus, as an oncolytic virus currently being developed for cancer treatment. However, how NDV alters cellular metabolism is still far from fully understood. In this study, we show that NDV infection reprograms cell metabolism by increasing glucose utilization in the glycolytic pathway. Mechanistically, NDV induces mitochondrial damage, elevated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) and ETC dysfunction. Infection of cells depletes nucleotide triphosphate levels, resulting in elevated AMP:ATP ratios, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, and MTOR crosstalk mediated autophagy. In a time-dependent manner, NDV shifts the balance of mitochondrial dynamics from fusion to fission. Subsequently, PINK1-PRKN-dependent mitophagy was activated, forming a ubiquitin chain with MFN2 (mitofusin 2), and molecular receptor SQSTM1/p62 recognized damaged mitochondria. We also found that NDV infection induces NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIRT3 loss via mitophagy to engender HIF1A stabilization, leading to the switch from oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to aerobic glycolysis. Overall, these studies support a model that NDV modulates host cell metabolism through PINK1-PRKN-dependent mitophagy for degrading SIRT3.Abbreviations: AMPK: AMP-activated protein kinase; CCCP: carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone; ECAR: extracellular acidification rate; hpi: hours post infection LC-MS: liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; mito-QC: mCherry-GFP-FIS1[mt101-152]; MFN2: mitofusin 2; MMP: mitochondrial membrane potential; mROS: mitochondrial reactive oxygen species; MOI: multiplicity of infection; 2-NBDG: 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl) amino)-2-deoxyglucose; NDV: newcastle disease virus; OCR: oxygen consumption rate; siRNA: small interfering RNA; SIRT3: sirtuin 3; TCA: tricarboxylic acid; TCID50: tissue culture infective doses.

Keywords:  Cellular metabolism; SIRT3; glycolysis; mitochondrial fission; mitophagy; newcastle disease virus

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1990515
Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 02. 11(1): 20772

Ca2+ imbalance caused by ERdj5 deletion affects mitochondrial fragmentation.

Riyuji Yamashita, Shohei Fujii, Ryo Ushioda, Kazuhiro Nagata.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the organelle responsible for the folding of secretory/membrane proteins and acts as a dynamic calcium ion (Ca2+) store involved in various cellular signalling pathways. Previously, we reported that the ER-resident disulfide reductase ERdj5 is involved in the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of misfolded proteins in the ER and the activation of SERCA2b, a Ca2+ pump on the ER membrane. These results highlighted the importance of the regulation of redox activity in both Ca2+ and protein homeostasis in the ER. Here, we show that the deletion of ERdj5 causes an imbalance in intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, the activation of Drp1, a cytosolic GTPase involved in mitochondrial fission, and finally the aberrant fragmentation of mitochondria, which affects cell viability as well as phenotype with features of cellular senescence. Thus, ERdj5-mediated regulation of intracellular Ca2+ is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis involved in cellular senescence.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99980-9
Mol Biol Cell. 2021 Nov 03. mbcE21070370

The mitospecific domain of Mrp7 (bL27) supports mitochondrial translation during fermentation and is required for effective adaptation to respiration.

Jessica M Anderson, Jodie M Box, Rosemary A Stuart.

We demonstrate here that mitoribosomal protein synthesis, responsible for the synthesis of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) subunits encoded by mitochondrial genome, occurs at high levels during glycolysis fermentation and in a manner uncoupled from OXPHOS complex assembly regulation. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the mitospecific domain of Mrp7 (bL27), a mitoribosomal component, is required to maintain mitochondrial protein synthesis during fermentation, but is not required under respiration growth conditions. Maintaining mitotranslation under high glucose fermentation conditions also involves Mam33 (p32/gC1qR homolog), a binding partner of Mrp7's mitospecific domain, and together they confer a competitive advantage for a cell's ability to adapt to respiration-based metabolism when glucose becomes limiting. Furthermore, our findings support that the mitoribosome, and specifically the central protuberance (CP) region, may be differentially regulated and/or assembled, under the different metabolic conditions of fermentation and respiration. Based on our findings, we propose the purpose of mitotranslation is not limited to the assembly of OXPHOS complexes, but also plays a role in mitochondrial signaling critical for switching cellular metabolism from a glycolysis- to a respiratory-based state.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E21-07-0370
Circ Res. 2021 Nov 02.

Alternative Mitophagy Protects the Heart Against Obesity-Associated Cardiomyopathy.

Mingming Tong, Toshiro Saito, Peiyong Zhai, Shin-Ichi Oka, Wataru Mizushima, Michinari Nakamura, Shohei Ikeda, Akihiro Shirakabe, Junichi Sadoshima.

Rationale: Obesity-associated cardiomyopathy characterized by hypertrophy and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial quality control mechanisms, including mitophagy, are essential for the maintenance of cardiac function in obesity-associated cardiomyopathy. However, autophagic flux peaks at around 6 weeks of high fat diet (HFD) consumption and declines thereafter. Objective: We investigated whether mitophagy is activated during the chronic phase of cardiomyopathy associated with obesity (obesity cardiomyopathy) after general autophagy is downregulated and, if so, what the underlying mechanism and the functional significance are. Methods and Results: Mice were fed either a normal diet (ND) or a HFD (60 kcal % fat). Mitophagy, evaluated using Mito-Keima, was increased after 3 weeks of HFD consumption and continued to increase after conventional mechanisms of autophagy were inactivated, at least until 24 weeks. HFD consumption time-dependently up-regulated both Ser555-phosphorylated Ulk1 and Rab9 in the mitochondrial fraction. Mitochondria were sequestrated by Rab9-positive ring-like structures in cardiomyocytes isolated from mice after 20 weeks of HFD consumption, consistent with the activation of alternative mitophagy. Increases in mitophagy induced by HFD consumption for 20 weeks were abolished in cardiac-specific ulk1 knockout mouse hearts, in which both diastolic and systolic dysfunction were exacerbated. Rab9 S179A knock-in mice, in which alternative mitophagy is selectively suppressed, exhibited impaired mitophagy and more severe cardiac dysfunction than control mice following HFD consumption for 20 weeks. Overexpression of Rab9 in the heart increased mitophagy and protected against cardiac dysfunction during HFD consumption. HFD-induced activation of Rab9-dependent mitophagy was accompanied by upregulation of TFE3, which plays an essential role in transcriptional activation of mitophagy. Conclusions: Ulk1-Rab9-dependent alternative mitophagy is activated during the chronic phase of HFD consumption and serves as an essential mitochondrial quality control mechanism, thereby protecting the heart against obesity cardiomyopathy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.319377
Cell Death Dis. 2021 Nov 05. 12(11): 1050

Mitochondrial Drp1 recognizes and induces excessive mPTP opening after hypoxia through BAX-PiC and LRRK2-HK2.

Chenyang Duan, Lei Kuang, Chen Hong, Xinming Xiang, Jiancang Liu, Qinghui Li, Xiaoyong Peng, Yuanqun Zhou, Hongchen Wang, Liangming Liu, Tao Li.

Mitochondrial mass imbalance is one of the key causes of cardiovascular dysfunction after hypoxia. The activation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), as well as its mitochondrial translocation, play important roles in the changes of both mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial functions after hypoxia. However, in addition to mediating mitochondrial fission, whether Drp1 has other regulatory roles in mitochondrial homeostasis after mitochondrial translocation is unknown. In this study, we performed a series of interaction and colocalization assays and found that, after mitochondrial translocation, Drp1 may promote the excessive opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) after hypoxia. Firstly, mitochondrial Drp1 maximumly recognizes mPTP channels by binding Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) and a phosphate carrier protein (PiC) in the mPTP. Then, leucine-rich repeat serine/threonine-protein kinase 2 (LRRK2) is recruited, whose kinase activity is inhibited by direct binding with mitochondrial Drp1 after hypoxia. Subsequently, the mPTP-related protein hexokinase 2 (HK2) is inactivated at Thr-473 and dissociates from the mitochondrial membrane, ultimately causing structural disruption and overopening of mPTP, which aggravates mitochondrial and cellular dysfunction after hypoxia. Thus, our study interprets the dual direct regulation of mitochondrial Drp1 on mitochondrial morphology and functions after hypoxia and proposes a new mitochondrial fission-independent mechanism for the role of Drp1 after its translocation in hypoxic injury.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-04343-x
Autophagy. 2021 Oct 31. 1-15

Mycobacterium bovis induces mitophagy to suppress host xenophagy for its intracellular survival.

Yinjuan Song, Xin Ge, Yulan Chen, Tariq Hussain, Zhengmin Liang, Yuhui Dong, Yuanzhi Wang, Chengyuan Tang, Xiangmei Zhou.

  Mitophagy is a selective autophagy mechanism for eliminating damaged mitochondria and plays a crucial role in the immune evasion of some viruses and bacteria. Here, we report that Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) utilizes host mitophagy to suppress host xenophagy to enhance its intracellular survival. M. bovis is the causative agent of animal tuberculosis and human tuberculosis. In the current study, we show that M. bovis induces mitophagy in macrophages, and the induction of mitophagy is impaired by PINK1 knockdown, indicating the PINK1-PRKN/Parkin pathway is involved in the mitophagy induced by M. bovis. Moreover, the survival of M. bovis in macrophages and the lung bacterial burden of mice are restricted by the inhibition of mitophagy and are enhanced by the induction of mitophagy. Confocal microscopy analysis reveals that induction of mitophagy suppresses host xenophagy by competitive utilization of p-TBK1. Overall, our results suggest that induction of mitophagy enhances M. bovis growth while inhibition of mitophagy improves growth restriction. The findings provide a new insight for understanding the intracellular survival mechanism of M. bovis in the host.

Keywords:  Macrophage; Mycobacterium bovis; mitophagy; p-TBK1; xenophagy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1987671
FASEB J. 2021 Dec;35(12): e22010

Mitochondrial NDUFA4L2 is a novel regulator of skeletal muscle mass and force.

Zhengye Liu, Thomas Chaillou, Estela Santos Alves, Theresa Mader, Baptiste Jude, Duarte M S Ferreira, Heidi Hynynen, Arthur J Cheng, William O Jonsson, Gianluigi Pironti, Daniel C Andersson, Ellinor Kenne, Jorge L Ruas, Pasi Tavi, Johanna T Lanner.

  The hypoxia-inducible nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1 alpha subcomplex, 4-like 2 (NDUFA4L2) has been demonstrated to decrease oxidative phosphorylation and production of reactive oxygen species in neonatal cardiomyocytes, brain tissue and hypoxic domains of cancer cells. Prolonged local hypoxia can negatively affect skeletal muscle size and tissue oxidative capacity. Although skeletal muscle is a mitochondrial rich, oxygen sensitive tissue, the role of NDUFA4L2 in skeletal muscle has not previously been investigated. Here we ectopically expressed NDUFA4L2 in mouse skeletal muscles using adenovirus-mediated expression and in vivo electroporation. Moreover, femoral artery ligation (FAL) was used as a model of peripheral vascular disease to induce hind limb ischemia and muscle damage. Ectopic NDUFA4L2 expression resulted in reduced mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species followed by lowered AMP, ADP, ATP, and NAD+ levels without affecting the overall protein content of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Furthermore, ectopically expressed NDUFA4L2 caused a ~20% reduction in muscle mass that resulted in weaker muscles. The loss of muscle mass was associated with increased gene expression of atrogenes MurF1 and Mul1, and apoptotic genes caspase 3 and Bax. Finally, we showed that NDUFA4L2 was induced by FAL and that the Ndufa4l2 mRNA expression correlated with the reduced capacity of the muscle to generate force after the ischemic insult. These results show, for the first time, that mitochondrial NDUFA4L2 is a novel regulator of skeletal muscle mass and force. Specifically, induced NDUFA4L2 reduces mitochondrial activity leading to lower levels of important intramuscular metabolites, including adenine nucleotides and NAD+ , which are hallmarks of mitochondrial dysfunction and hence shows that dysfunctional mitochondrial activity may drive muscle wasting.

Keywords:  NDUFA4L2; mitochondria; muscle mass; skeletal muscle

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202100066R