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Does mitochondrial fusion require transmembrane potential?

Does mitochondrial fusion require transmembrane potential?

Authors :
Fedor F. Severin
Iuliia Karavaeva
K. V. Shekhireva
Dmitry A. Knorre
Source :
Biochemistry (Moscow). 80:549-558
Publication Year :
2015
Publisher :
Pleiades Publishing Ltd, 2015.

Abstract

Dissipation of transmembrane potential inhibits mitochondrial fusion and thus prevents reintegration of damaged mitochondria into the mitochondrial network. Consequently, damaged mitochondria are removed by autophagy. Does transmembrane potential directly regulate the mitochondrial fusion machinery? It was shown that inhibition of ATP-synthase induces fragmentation of mitochondria while preserving transmembrane potential. Moreover, mitochondria of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae retain the ability to fuse even in the absence of transmembrane potential. Metazoan mitochondria in some cases retain ability to fuse for a short period even in a depolarized state. It also seems unlikely that transmembrane potential-based regulation of mitochondrial fusion would prevent reintegration of mitochondria with damaged ATP-synthase into the mitochondrial network. Such reintegration could lead to clonal expansion of mtDNAs harboring deleterious mutations in ATP synthase. We speculate that transmembrane potential is not directly involved in regulation of mitochondrial fusion but affects mitochondrial NTP/NDP ratio, which in turn regulates their fusion.

Details

ISSN :
16083040 and 00062979
Volume :
80
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Biochemistry (Moscow)
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....b9ecf0060430abbd1e36d2ffd98e3dfe
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1134/s0006297915050053