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The FEBS Journal Feb 2018Bax and Bak are members of the Bcl-2 family and core regulators of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Upon apoptotic stimuli, they are activated and oligomerize at the... (Review)
Review
Bax and Bak are members of the Bcl-2 family and core regulators of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Upon apoptotic stimuli, they are activated and oligomerize at the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) to mediate its permeabilization, which is considered a key step in apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying Bax and Bak function has remained a key question in the field. Here, we review recent structural and biophysical evidence that has changed our understanding of how Bax and Bak promote MOM permeabilization. We also discuss how the spatial regulation of Bcl-2 family preference for binding partners contributes to regulate Bax and Bak activation. Finally, we consider the contribution of mitochondrial composition, dynamics and interaction with other organelles to apoptosis commitment. A new perspective is emerging, in which the control of apoptosis by Bax and Bak goes beyond them and is highly influenced by additional mitochondrial components.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; Dimerization; Humans; Lipid Bilayers; Lipid Mobilization; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; Mitochondrial Membranes; Models, Biological; Porosity; Protein Conformation; Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; Protein Multimerization; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; bcl-2-Associated X Protein
PubMed: 28755482
DOI: 10.1111/febs.14186 -
Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology Feb 2020Through their many and varied metabolic functions, mitochondria power life. Paradoxically, mitochondria also have a central role in apoptotic cell death. Upon induction... (Review)
Review
Through their many and varied metabolic functions, mitochondria power life. Paradoxically, mitochondria also have a central role in apoptotic cell death. Upon induction of mitochondrial apoptosis, mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) usually commits a cell to die. Apoptotic signalling downstream of MOMP involves cytochrome c release from mitochondria and subsequent caspase activation. As such, targeting MOMP in order to manipulate cell death holds tremendous therapeutic potential across different diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders and cancer. In this Review, we discuss new insights into how mitochondria regulate apoptotic cell death. Surprisingly, recent data demonstrate that besides eliciting caspase activation, MOMP engages various pro-inflammatory signalling functions. As we highlight, together with new findings demonstrating cell survival following MOMP, this pro-inflammatory role suggests that mitochondria-derived signalling downstream of pro-apoptotic cues may also have non-lethal functions. Finally, we discuss the importance and roles of mitochondria in other forms of regulated cell death, including necroptosis, ferroptosis and pyroptosis. Collectively, these new findings offer exciting, unexplored opportunities to target mitochondrial regulation of cell death for clinical benefit.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Caspases; Cytochromes c; Humans; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Membranes; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 31636403
DOI: 10.1038/s41580-019-0173-8 -
Autophagy Sep 2021Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in aging and multiple degenerative diseases, including intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and osteoarthritis (OA). Thus, the...
Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in aging and multiple degenerative diseases, including intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and osteoarthritis (OA). Thus, the maintenance of mitochondria homeostasis and function is important. Mitophagy, a process that selectively clears damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria through autophagic machinery, functions to maintain mitochondrial quality control and homeostasis. IVDD and OA are similar joint diseases involving the degradation of cartilaginous tissues that are mainly caused by oxidative stress, cell apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Over the past decade, accumulating evidence indicates the essential role of mitophagy in the pathogenesis of IVDD and OA. Importantly, strategies by the regulation of mitophagy exert beneficial effects in the pre-clinical experiments. Given the importance and novelty of mitophagy, we provide an overview of mitophagy pathways and discuss the roles of mitophagy in IVDD and OA. We also highlight the potential of targeting mitophagy for the treatment of degenerative joint diseases. AD: Alzheimer disease; AF: annulus fibrosus; ADORA2A/A2AR: adenosine A2a receptor; AMBRA1: autophagy and beclin 1 regulator 1; BMSCs: bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; BNIP3: BCL2 interacting protein 3; BNIP3L/NIX: BCL2/adenovirus E1B interacting protein 3-like; CDH6: cadherin 6; CEP: cartilaginous endplates; circRNA: circular RNA; DNM1L/DRP1: dynamin 1-like; ECM: extracellular matrix; HIF1A: hypoxia inducible factor 1: alpha subunit; IL1B: interleukin 1 beta; IMM: inner mitochondrial membranes; IVDD: intervertebral disc degeneration; MAPK8/JNK: mitogen-activated protein kinase 8; MFN1: mitofusin 1; MFN2: mitofusin 2; MIA: monosodium iodoacetate; RHOT/MIRO: ras homolog family member T; MMP: mitochondrial transmembrane potential; CALCOCO2/NDP52: calcium binding and coiled-coil domain 2; NFE2L2: nuclear factor: erythroid 2 like 2; NP: nucleus pulposus; OA: osteoarthritis; OPA1: OPA1: mitochondrial dynamin like GTPase; OPTN: optineurin; PRKN: parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase; PD: Parkinson disease; PGAM5: PGAM family member 5; PPARGC1A/PGC-1A: peroxisome proliferator activated receptor: gamma: coactivator 1 alpha; PHF23: PHD finger protein 23; PINK1: PTEN induced putative kinase 1; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SfMSCs: synovial fluid MSCs; SIRT1: sirtuin 1; SIRT2: sirtuin 2; SIRT3: sirtuin 3; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TNF: tumor necrosis factor; Ub: ubiquitin; UBL: ubiquitin-like; VDAC: voltage-dependent anion channel.
Topics: Autophagy; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Membranes; Mitophagy
PubMed: 32967533
DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1822097 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Oct 2022In the mitochondrial outer membrane, α-helical transmembrane proteins play critical roles in cytoplasmic-mitochondrial communication. Using genome-wide CRISPR screens,...
In the mitochondrial outer membrane, α-helical transmembrane proteins play critical roles in cytoplasmic-mitochondrial communication. Using genome-wide CRISPR screens, we identified mitochondrial carrier homolog 2 (MTCH2), and its paralog MTCH1, and showed that it is required for insertion of biophysically diverse tail-anchored (TA), signal-anchored, and multipass proteins, but not outer membrane β-barrel proteins. Purified MTCH2 was sufficient to mediate insertion into reconstituted proteoliposomes. Functional and mutational studies suggested that MTCH2 has evolved from a solute carrier transporter. MTCH2 uses membrane-embedded hydrophilic residues to function as a gatekeeper for the outer membrane, controlling mislocalization of TAs into the endoplasmic reticulum and modulating the sensitivity of leukemia cells to apoptosis. Our identification of MTCH2 as an insertase provides a mechanistic explanation for the diverse phenotypes and disease states associated with MTCH2 dysfunction.
Topics: Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; Mitochondrial Membranes; Humans; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Apoptosis; K562 Cells
PubMed: 36264797
DOI: 10.1126/science.add1856 -
Annual Review of Biochemistry Jun 2017Mitochondria are essential organelles with numerous functions in cellular metabolism and homeostasis. Most of the >1,000 different mitochondrial proteins are synthesized... (Review)
Review
Mitochondria are essential organelles with numerous functions in cellular metabolism and homeostasis. Most of the >1,000 different mitochondrial proteins are synthesized as precursors in the cytosol and are imported into mitochondria by five transport pathways. The protein import machineries of the mitochondrial membranes and aqueous compartments reveal a remarkable variability of mechanisms for protein recognition, translocation, and sorting. The protein translocases do not operate as separate entities but are connected to each other and to machineries with functions in energetics, membrane organization, and quality control. Here, we discuss the versatility and dynamic organization of the mitochondrial protein import machineries. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial protein translocation is crucial for understanding the integration of protein translocases into a large network that controls organelle biogenesis, function, and dynamics.
Topics: Carrier Proteins; Eukaryotic Cells; Gene Expression; Humans; Isoenzymes; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; Mitochondrial Membranes; Mitochondrial Precursor Protein Import Complex Proteins; Mitochondrial Proteins; Organelle Biogenesis; Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical; Protein Conformation, beta-Strand; Protein Precursors; Protein Transport
PubMed: 28301740
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-060815-014352 -
Molecular Cell Mar 2023Mitochondria are cellular organelles with a major role in many cellular processes, including not only energy production, metabolism, and calcium homeostasis but also... (Review)
Review
Mitochondria are cellular organelles with a major role in many cellular processes, including not only energy production, metabolism, and calcium homeostasis but also regulated cell death and innate immunity. Their proteobacterial origin makes them a rich source of potent immune agonists, normally hidden within the mitochondrial membrane barriers. Alteration of mitochondrial permeability through mitochondrial pores thus provides efficient mechanisms not only to communicate mitochondrial stress to the cell but also as a key event in the integration of cellular responses. In this regard, eukaryotic cells have developed diverse signaling networks that sense and respond to the release of mitochondrial components into the cytosol and play a key role in controlling cell death and inflammatory pathways. Modulating pore formation at mitochondria through direct or indirect mechanisms may thus open new opportunities for therapy. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the structure and molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial pores and how they function at the interface between cell death and inflammatory signaling to regulate cellular outcomes.
Topics: Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Membranes; Apoptosis; Cell Death; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 36931255
DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.02.021 -
Nature Apr 2023Non-enveloped viruses require cell lysis to release new virions from infected cells, suggesting that these viruses require mechanisms to induce cell death. Noroviruses...
Non-enveloped viruses require cell lysis to release new virions from infected cells, suggesting that these viruses require mechanisms to induce cell death. Noroviruses are one such group of viruses, but there is no known mechanism that causes norovirus infection-triggered cell death and lysis. Here we identify a molecular mechanism of norovirus-induced cell death. We found that the norovirus-encoded NTPase NS3 contains an N-terminal four-helix bundle domain homologous to the membrane-disruption domain of the pseudokinase mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL). NS3 has a mitochondrial localization signal and thus induces cell death by targeting mitochondria. Full-length NS3 and an N-terminal fragment of the protein bound the mitochondrial membrane lipid cardiolipin, permeabilized the mitochondrial membrane and induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Both the N-terminal region and the mitochondrial localization motif of NS3 were essential for cell death, viral egress from cells and viral replication in mice. These findings suggest that noroviruses have acquired a host MLKL-like pore-forming domain to facilitate viral egress by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Cell Death; Mitochondria; Norovirus; Protein Kinases; Virus Replication; Viral Proteins; Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; Protein Sorting Signals; Cardiolipins; Mitochondrial Membranes
PubMed: 36991121
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05851-w -
Cell Sep 2013Respiratory chain complexes assemble into functional quaternary structures called supercomplexes (RCS) within the folds of the inner mitochondrial membrane, or cristae....
Respiratory chain complexes assemble into functional quaternary structures called supercomplexes (RCS) within the folds of the inner mitochondrial membrane, or cristae. Here, we investigate the relationship between respiratory function and mitochondrial ultrastructure and provide evidence that cristae shape determines the assembly and stability of RCS and hence mitochondrial respiratory efficiency. Genetic and apoptotic manipulations of cristae structure affect assembly and activity of RCS in vitro and in vivo, independently of changes to mitochondrial protein synthesis or apoptotic outer mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. We demonstrate that, accordingly, the efficiency of mitochondria-dependent cell growth depends on cristae shape. Thus, RCS assembly emerges as a link between membrane morphology and function.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Apoptosis; BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; Cell Respiration; Electron Transport; GTP Phosphohydrolases; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Membranes; Molecular Sequence Data; Multiprotein Complexes; Sequence Alignment
PubMed: 24055366
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.08.032 -
Nature Aug 2023Distinct morphologies of the mitochondrial network support divergent metabolic and regulatory processes that determine cell function and fate. The mechanochemical...
Distinct morphologies of the mitochondrial network support divergent metabolic and regulatory processes that determine cell function and fate. The mechanochemical GTPase optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) influences the architecture of cristae and catalyses the fusion of the mitochondrial inner membrane. Despite its fundamental importance, the molecular mechanisms by which OPA1 modulates mitochondrial morphology are unclear. Here, using a combination of cellular and structural analyses, we illuminate the molecular mechanisms that are key to OPA1-dependent membrane remodelling and fusion. Human OPA1 embeds itself into cardiolipin-containing membranes through a lipid-binding paddle domain. A conserved loop within the paddle domain inserts deeply into the bilayer, further stabilizing the interactions with cardiolipin-enriched membranes. OPA1 dimerization through the paddle domain promotes the helical assembly of a flexible OPA1 lattice on the membrane, which drives mitochondrial fusion in cells. Moreover, the membrane-bending OPA1 oligomer undergoes conformational changes that pull the membrane-inserting loop out of the outer leaflet and contribute to the mechanics of membrane remodelling. Our findings provide a structural framework for understanding how human OPA1 shapes mitochondrial morphology and show us how human disease mutations compromise OPA1 functions.
Topics: Humans; Biocatalysis; Cardiolipins; GTP Phosphohydrolases; Membrane Fusion; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Membranes; Mutation; Protein Domains; Protein Multimerization; Mitochondrial Dynamics
PubMed: 37612504
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06441-6 -
Nature Mar 2019Cancer-specific inhibitors that reflect the unique metabolic needs of cancer cells are rare. Here we describe Gboxin, a small molecule that specifically inhibits the...
Cancer-specific inhibitors that reflect the unique metabolic needs of cancer cells are rare. Here we describe Gboxin, a small molecule that specifically inhibits the growth of primary mouse and human glioblastoma cells but not that of mouse embryonic fibroblasts or neonatal astrocytes. Gboxin rapidly and irreversibly compromises oxygen consumption in glioblastoma cells. Gboxin relies on its positive charge to associate with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes in a manner that is dependent on the proton gradient of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and it inhibits the activity of FF ATP synthase. Gboxin-resistant cells require a functional mitochondrial permeability transition pore that regulates pH and thus impedes the accumulation of Gboxin in the mitochondrial matrix. Administration of a metabolically stable Gboxin analogue inhibits glioblastoma allografts and patient-derived xenografts. Gboxin toxicity extends to established human cancer cell lines of diverse organ origin, and shows that the increased proton gradient and pH in cancer cell mitochondria is a mode of action that can be targeted in the development of antitumour reagents.
Topics: Allografts; Animals; Astrocytes; Cell Line, Tumor; Fibroblasts; Glioblastoma; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Mice; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; Mitochondrial Membranes; Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; Neoplasm Transplantation; Organ Specificity; Oxidative Phosphorylation; Proton-Motive Force; Proton-Translocating ATPases; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
PubMed: 30842654
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-0993-x