Mitochondrial fission facilitates the selective mitophagy of protein aggregates

Within the mitochondrial matrix, protein aggregation activates the mitochondrial unfolded protein response and PINK1–Parkin-mediated mitophagy to mitigate proteotoxicity. We explore how autophagy eliminates protein aggregates from within mitochondria and the role of mitochondrial fission in mitophagy. We show that PINK1 recruits Parkin onto mitochondrial subdomains after actinonin-induced mitochondrial proteotoxicity and that PINK1 recruits Parkin proximal to focal misfolded aggregates of the mitochondrial-localized mutant ornithine transcarbamylase (ΔOTC). Parkin colocalizes on polarized mitochondria harboring misfolded proteins in foci with ubiquitin, optineurin, and LC3. Although inhibiting Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission suppresses the segregation of mitochondrial subdomains containing ΔOTC, it does not decrease the rate of ΔOTC clearance. Instead, loss of Drp1 enhances the recruitment of Parkin to fused mitochondrial networks and the rate of mitophagy as well as decreases the selectivity for ΔOTC during mitophagy. These results are consistent with a new model that, instead of promoting mitophagy, fission protects healthy mitochondrial domains from elimination by unchecked PINK1–Parkin activity

Acute and chronic mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency differentially regulate lysosomal biogenesis

Mitochondria are key cellular signaling platforms, affecting fundamental processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation and death. However, it remains unclear how mitochondrial signaling affects other organelles, particularly lysosomes. Here, we demonstrate that mitochondrial respiratory chain (RC) impairments elicit a stress signaling pathway that regulates lysosomal biogenesis via the microphtalmia transcription factor family. Interestingly, the effect of mitochondrial stress over lysosomal biogenesis depends on the timeframe of the stress elicited: while RC inhibition with rotenone or uncoupling with CCCP initially triggers lysosomal biogenesis, the effect peaks after few hours and returns to baseline. Long-term RC inhibition by long-term treatment with rotenone, or patient mutations in fibroblasts and in a mouse model result in repression of lysosomal biogenesis. The induction of lysosomal biogenesis by short-term mitochondrial stress is dependent on TFEB and MITF, requires AMPK signaling and is independent of calcineurin signaling. These results reveal an integrated view of how mitochondrial signaling affects lysosomes, which is essential to fully comprehend the consequences of mitochondrial malfunction, particularly in the context of mitochondrial diseases.Open-Access-Publikationsfonds 2017peerReviewe