Mitochondrial fusion/fission dynamics in neurodegeneration and neuronal plasticity.

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that continually move, fuse and divide. The dynamic balance of fusion and fission of mitochondria determines their morphology and allows their immediate adaptation to energetic needs, keeps mitochondria in good health by restoring or removing damaged organelles or precipitates cells in apoptosis in cases of severe defects. Mitochondrial fusion and fission are essential in mammals and their disturbances are associated with several diseases. However, while mitochondrial fusion/fission dynamics, and the proteins that control these processes, are ubiquitous, associated diseases are primarily neurological disorders. Accordingly, inactivation of the main actors of mitochondrial fusion/fission dynamics is associated with defects in neuronal development, plasticity and functioning, both ex vivo and in vivo. Here, we present the central actors of mitochondrial fusion and fission and review the role of mitochondrial dynamics in neuronal physiology and pathophysiology. Particular emphasis is placed on the three main actors of these processes i.e. DRP1,MFN1-2, and OPA1 as well as on GDAP1, a protein of the mitochondrial outer membrane preferentially expressed in neurons. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mitochondria & Brain.

Fission yeast mfr1 activates APC and coordinates meiotic nuclear division with sporulation.

Meiosis is the developmental program by which sexually reproducing diploid organisms generate haploid gametes. In yeast, meiosis is followed by spore morphogenesis. These two events are normally coordinated in such a way that spore formation is dependent upon completion of the meiotic nuclear divisions. Here we describe a meiosis-specific protein, mfr1, that is involved in this coordination. mfr1 is an activator of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC), which is necessary for the rapid degradation of the cdc13 cyclin at the end of meiosis II, prior to the formation of spores. An mfr1 null mutant completes meiosis II but remains with high levels of cdc13 and cdc2 kinase activity and has considerably delayed spore formation. By analogy with the mitotic cell cycle, where proteolysis and inactivation of cdc2 kinase are necessary to trigger mitotic exit and cytokinesis, we propose that at the end of meiosis rapid and timely proteolysis of cyclins is required to switch on the differentiation program that eventually leads to the formation of haploid gametes.

Nuclear gene OPA1, encoding a mitochondrial dynamin-related protein, is mutated in dominant optic atrophy.

Optic atrophy type 1 (OPA1, MIM 165500) is a dominantly inherited optic neuropathy occurring in 1 in 50,000 individuals that features progressive loss in visual acuity leading, in many cases, to legal blindness. Phenotypic variations and loss of retinal ganglion cells, as found in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), have suggested possible mitochondrial impairment. The OPA1 gene has been localized to 3q28-q29 (refs 13-19). We describe here a nuclear gene, OPA1, that maps within the candidate region and encodes a dynamin-related protein localized to mitochondria. We found four different OPA1 mutations, including frameshift and missense mutations, to segregate with the disease, demonstrating a role for mitochondria in retinal ganglion cell pathophysiology.

Fission yeast Msp1 is a mitochondrial dynamin-related protein.

We recently identified Msp1p, a fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe dynamin-related protein, which is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA. The Msp1p sequence displays typical features of a mitochondrial protein. Here we report in vitro and in vivo data that validate that prediction. We demonstrate that the targeting sequence of Msp1p is processed by recombinant mitochondrial processing peptidase and that Msp1p is imported into S. pombe mitochondria in vitro in the presence of cellular extracts. We show that the first 109 residues of Msp1p encompass a functional peptide signal that is sufficient to direct chimera to mitochondria. Immunofluorescence studies indicate that Msp1p staining colocalises with a mitochondrial marker and electron microscopy shows that the protein is located inside the mitochondria. Mitochondrial enrichment and fractionation further confirm that localisation and show that Msp1p is anchored to the matrix side of the mitochondrial inner membrane. Finally, we report that overexpression of the Msp1 protein results in gross alteration of the mitochondrial structure and function. All together our results suggest that Msp1p is an essential component for mitochondrial maintenance.

Interaction between the fission yeast nim1/cdr1 protein kinase and a dynamin-related protein.

The nim1/cdr1 protein kinase is required for an efficient adaptation of cell cycle parameters to changes in nutritional conditions. We have isolated msp1, a new fission yeast member of the dynamin-related large GTPase family, in a two-hybrid screen designed to identify proteins interacting with the nim1 kinase. Msp1 has been shown to be essential for the maintenance of mtDNA and hence for the inheritance of functional mitochondria. We present evidence indicating that niml and mspl proteins physically interact both in vitro and in vivo in fission yeast. These interactions occur through the amino-terminal catalytic domain of nim1 and the carboxy-terminal putative regulatory domain of mspl. These results provide new evidence for the existence of a connection between mitochondrial function and the cell cycle machinery.

Identification of a fission yeast dynamin-related protein involved in mitochondrial DNA maintenance.

Members of the dynamin-related proteins family have been identified in a wide range of organisms, however their precise functions remain elusive. We have identified a new member of that GTPase family in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We show that Msp1+ is an essential nuclear gene encoding a 101 kDa protein whose closest homologue is the S. cerevisiae MGM1 gene product. We also report that msp1 conditional loss of function affects the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA and leads to growth arrest associated with respiratory deficiency.

Role of the fission yeast nim 1 protein kinase in the cell cycle response to nutritional signals.

The fission yeast cdr1/nim1 protein kinase phosphorylates and inactivates the weel cdc2-inhibitory kinase. We have investigated the role played by cdr1/nim1 in the connection between nutritional signals and the cell cycle machinery. We show that loss of nim1 activity impairs the appropriate cellular adaptation to nutritional changes. However, the reduction in cell size at division in response to nitrogen starvation is independent of nim1. Moreover, we report that nim1 is an unstable protein that is rapidly degraded upon starvation, through a mechanism that is dependent upon protein synthesis. We propose that nim1, as a constitutive indirect activator of cdc2 at mitosis, favors the cellular response to starvation but does not actively participate in it. On the contrary, upon nitrogen starvation nim1 must be actively destroyed to protect the cells from a commitment into the cell cycle under unfavourable growth conditions.

The fission yeast Nim1/Cdr1 kinase: a link between nutritional state and cell cycle control.

Close connections appear to exist between extra-cellular signals that regulate cell proliferation and the protein kinases that control the cell cycle machinery. The fission yeast nim1 kinase is an inducer of cdc2 kinase activity acting through the inhibition of wee1 kinase. Nim1 function is required for a correct cellular response to nutritional starvation. In the absence of nim1, starved cells are unable to decrease their size at mitosis, to arrest their cycle in G1 and to enter G0. Here, we review our current knowledge on the role and the regulation of nim1 in connecting cell cycle and nutritional pathways.