Andreas S. Reichert

Nix is a selective autophagy receptor for mitochondrial clearance

Autophagy is the cellular homeostatic pathway that delivers large cytosolic materials for degradation in the lysosome. Recent evidence indicates that autophagy mediates selective removal of protein aggregates, organelles and microbes in cells. Yet, the specificity in targeting a particular substrate to the autophagy pathway remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the mitochondrial protein Nix is a selective autophagy receptor by binding to LC3/GABARAP proteins, ubiquitin‐like modifiers that are required for the growth of autophagosomal membranes. In cultured cells, Nix recruits GABARAP‐L1 to damaged mitochondria through its amino‐terminal LC3‐interacting region. Furthermore, ablation of the Nix:LC3/GABARAP interaction retards mitochondrial clearance in maturing murine reticulocytes. Thus, Nix functions as an autophagy receptor, which mediates mitochondrial clearance after mitochondrial damage and during erythrocyte differentiation.

Loss-of-Function of Human PINK1 Results in Mitochondrial Pathology and Can Be Rescued by Parkin

Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is characteristic for Parkinsons disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Mitochondrial dysfunction is believed to contribute to the etiology of PD. Although most cases are sporadic, recent evidence points to a number of genes involved in familial variants of PD. Among them, a loss-of-function of phosphatase and tensin homolog-induced kinase 1 (PINK1; PARK6) is associated with rare cases of autosomal recessive parkinsonism. In HeLa cells, RNA interference-mediated downregulation of PINK1 results in abnormal mitochondrial morphology and altered membrane potential. Morphological changes of mitochondria can be rescued by expression of wild-type PINK1 but not by PD-associated PINK1 mutants. Moreover, primary cells derived from patients with two different PINK1 mutants showed a similar defect in mitochondrial morphology. Human parkin but not PD-associated mutants could rescue mitochondrial pathology in human cells like wild-type PINK1. Our results may therefore suggest that PINK1 deficiency in humans results in mitochondrial abnormalities associated with cellular stress, a pathological phenotype, which can be ameliorated by enhanced expression of parkin.

Proteolytic Processing of OPA1 Links Mitochondrial Dysfunction to Alterations in Mitochondrial Morphology

Many muscular and neurological disorders are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and are often accompanied by changes in mitochondrial morphology. Mutations in the gene encoding OPA1, a protein required for fusion of mitochondria, are associated with hereditary autosomal dominant optic atrophy type I. Here we show that mitochondrial fragmentation correlates with processing of large isoforms of OPA1 in cybrid cells from a patient with myoclonus epilepsy and ragged-red fibers syndrome and in mouse embryonic fibroblasts harboring an error-prone mitochondrial mtDNA polymerase γ. Furthermore, processed OPA1 was observed in heart tissue derived from heart-specific TFAM knock-out mice suffering from mitochondrial cardiomyopathy and in skeletal muscles from patients suffering from mitochondrial myopathies such as myopathy encephalopathy lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes. Dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential leads to fast induction of proteolytic processing of OPA1 and concomitant fragmentation of mitochondria. Recovery of mitochondrial fusion depended on protein synthesis and was accompanied by resynthesis of large isoforms of OPA1. Fragmentation of mitochondria was prevented by overexpressing OPA1. Taken together, our data indicate that proteolytic processing of OPA1 has a key role in inducing fragmentation of energetically compromised mitochondria. We present the hypothesis that this pathway regulates mitochondrial morphology and serves as an early response to prevent fusion of dysfunctional mitochondria with the functional mitochondrial network.

Loss of Parkin or PINK1 Function Increases Drp1-dependent Mitochondrial Fragmentation

Loss-of-function mutations in the parkin gene (PARK2) and PINK1 gene (PARK6) are associated with autosomal recessive parkinsonism. PINK1 deficiency was recently linked to mitochondrial pathology in human cells and Drosophila melanogaster, which can be rescued by parkin, suggesting that both genes play a role in maintaining mitochondrial integrity. Here we demonstrate that an acute down-regulation of parkin in human SH-SY5Y cells severely affects mitochondrial morphology and function, a phenotype comparable with that induced by PINK1 deficiency. Alterations in both mitochondrial morphology and ATP production caused by either parkin or PINK1 loss of function could be rescued by the mitochondrial fusion proteins Mfn2 and OPA1 or by a dominant negative mutant of the fission protein Drp1. Both parkin and PINK1 were able to suppress mitochondrial fragmentation induced by Drp1. Moreover, in Drp1-deficient cells the parkin/PINK1 knockdown phenotype did not occur, indicating that mitochondrial alterations observed in parkin- or PINK1-deficient cells are associated with an increase in mitochondrial fission. Notably, mitochondrial fragmentation is an early phenomenon upon PINK1/parkin silencing that also occurs in primary mouse neurons and Drosophila S2 cells. We propose that the discrepant findings in adult flies can be explained by the time of phenotype analysis and suggest that in mammals different strategies may have evolved to cope with dysfunctional mitochondria.

Parkinson phenotype in aged PINK1-deficient mice is accompanied by progressive mitochondrial dysfunction in absence of neurodegeneration

Background Parkinsons disease (PD) is an adult-onset movement disorder of largely unknown etiology. We have previously shown that loss-of-function mutations of the mitochondrial protein kinase PINK1 (PTEN induced putative kinase 1) cause the recessive PARK6 variant of PD. Methodology/Principal Findings Now we generated a PINK1 deficient mouse and observed several novel phenotypes: A progressive reduction of weight and of locomotor activity selectively for spontaneous movements occurred at old age. As in PD, abnormal dopamine levels in the aged nigrostriatal projection accompanied the reduced movements. Possibly in line with the PARK6 syndrome but in contrast to sporadic PD, a reduced lifespan, dysfunction of brainstem and sympathetic nerves, visible aggregates of α-synuclein within Lewy bodies or nigrostriatal neurodegeneration were not present in aged PINK1-deficient mice. However, we demonstrate PINK1 mutant mice to exhibit a progressive reduction in mitochondrial preprotein import correlating with defects of core mitochondrial functions like ATP-generation and respiration. In contrast to the strong effect of PINK1 on mitochondrial dynamics in Drosophila melanogaster and in spite of reduced expression of fission factor Mtp18, we show reduced fission and increased aggregation of mitochondria only under stress in PINK1-deficient mouse neurons. Conclusion Thus, aging Pink1−/− mice show increasing mitochondrial dysfunction resulting in impaired neural activity similar to PD, in absence of overt neuronal death.

Cristae formation—linking ultrastructure and function of mitochondria

Mitochondria are double-membrane enclosed eukaryotic organelles with a central role in numerous cellular functions. The ultrastructure of mitochondria varies considerably between tissues, organisms, and the physiological state of cells. Alterations and remodeling of inner membrane structures are evident in numerous human disorders and during apoptosis. The inner membrane is composed of two subcompartments, the cristae membrane and the inner boundary membrane. Recent advances in electron tomography led to the current view that these membrane domains are connected by rather small tubular structures, termed crista junctions. They have been proposed to regulate the dynamic distribution of proteins and lipids as well as of soluble metabolites between individual mitochondrial subcompartments. One example is the release of cytochrome c upon induction of apoptosis. However, only little is known on the molecular mechanisms mediating the formation and maintenance of cristae and crista junctions. Here we review the current knowledge of the factors that determine cristae morphology and how the latter is linked to mitochondrial function. Further, we formulate several theoretical models which could account for the de novo formation of cristae as well as their propagation from existing cristae.

Dynamic subcompartmentalization of the mitochondrial inner membrane

The inner membrane of mitochondria is organized in two morphologically distinct domains, the inner boundary membrane (IBM) and the cristae membrane (CM), which are connected by narrow, tubular cristae junctions. The protein composition of these domains, their dynamics, and their biogenesis and maintenance are poorly understood at the molecular level. We have used quantitative immunoelectron microscopy to determine the distribution of a collection of representative proteins in yeast mitochondria belonging to seven major processes: oxidative phosphorylation, protein translocation, metabolite exchange, mitochondrial morphology, protein translation, iron–sulfur biogenesis, and protein degradation. We show that proteins are distributed in an uneven, yet not exclusive, manner between IBM and CM. The individual distributions reflect the physiological functions of proteins. Moreover, proteins can redistribute between the domains upon changes of the physiological state of the cell. Impairing assembly of complex III affects the distribution of partially assembled subunits. We propose a model for the generation of this dynamic subcompartmentalization of the mitochondrial inner membrane.

Alternative topogenesis of Mgm1 and mitochondrial morphology depend on ATP and a functional import motor

Mitochondrial morphology and inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in yeast depend on the dynamin-like GTPase Mgm1. It is present in two isoforms in the intermembrane space of mitochondria both of which are required for Mgm1 function. Limited proteolysis of the large isoform by the mitochondrial rhomboid protease Pcp1/Rbd1 generates the short isoform of Mgm1 but how this is regulated is unclear. We show that near its NH2 terminus Mgm1 contains two conserved hydrophobic segments of which the more COOH-terminal one is cleaved by Pcp1. Changing the hydrophobicity of the NH2-terminal segment modulated the ratio of the isoforms and led to fragmentation of mitochondria. Formation of the short isoform of Mgm1 and mitochondrial morphology further depend on a functional protein import motor and on the ATP level in the matrix. Our data show that a novel pathway, to which we refer as alternative topogenesis, represents a key regulatory mechanism ensuring the balanced formation of both Mgm1 isoforms. Through this process the mitochondrial ATP level might control mitochondrial morphology.

Mitophagy is triggered by mild oxidative stress in a mitochondrial fission dependent manner.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to apoptosis, aging, cancer, and a number of neurodegenerative and muscular disorders. The interplay between mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics has been linked to the removal of dysfunctional mitochondria ensuring mitochondrial quality control. An open question is what role mitochondrial fission plays in the removal of mitochondria after mild and transient oxidative stress; conditions reported to result in moderately elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels comparable to physical activity. Here we show that applying such conditions led to fragmentation of mitochondria and induction of mitophagy in mouse and human cells. These conditions increased ROS levels only slightly and neither triggered cell death nor led to a detectable induction of non-selective autophagy. Starvation led to hyperfusion of mitochondria, to high ROS levels, and to the induction of both non-selective autophagy and to a lesser extent to mitophagy. We conclude that moderate levels of ROS specifically trigger mitophagy but are insufficient to trigger non-selective autophagy. Expression of a dominant-negative variant of the fission factor DRP1 blocked mitophagy induction by mild oxidative stress as well as by starvation. Taken together, we demonstrate that in mammalian cells under mild oxidative stress a DRP1-dependent type of mitophagy is triggered while a concomitant induction of non-selective autophagy was not observed. We propose that these mild oxidative conditions resembling well physiological situations are thus very helpful for studying the molecular pathways governing the selective removal of dysfunctional mitochondria.

Formation of cristae and crista junctions in mitochondria depends on antagonism between Fcj1 and Su e/g

Crista junctions (CJs) are important for mitochondrial organization and function, but the molecular basis of their formation and architecture is obscure. We have identified and characterized a mitochondrial membrane protein in yeast, Fcj1 (formation of CJ protein 1), which is specifically enriched in CJs. Cells lacking Fcj1 lack CJs, exhibit concentric stacks of inner membrane in the mitochondrial matrix, and show increased levels of F1FO–ATP synthase (F1FO) supercomplexes. Overexpression of Fcj1 leads to increased CJ formation, branching of cristae, enlargement of CJ diameter, and reduced levels of F1FO supercomplexes. Impairment of F1FO oligomer formation by deletion of its subunits e/g (Su e/g) causes CJ diameter enlargement and reduction of cristae tip numbers and promotes cristae branching. Fcj1 and Su e/g genetically interact. We propose a model in which the antagonism between Fcj1 and Su e/g locally modulates the F1FO oligomeric state, thereby controlling membrane curvature of cristae to generate CJs and cristae tips.