Abstract
Continuous mitochondrial fusion and fission define the dynamic shape of mitochondria. One essential player of mitochondrial fusion is the conserved inner membrane dynamin-like GTPase Mgm1/OPA1. Limited proteolysis of this protein has been proposed as a mechanism to separate and subsequently eliminate dysfunctional parts from the mitochondrial network. Here, I briefly summarize our current knowledge about the underlying proteolytic processing steps in mammals, baker’s yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Drosophila melanogaster and Aspergillus fumigatus. The apparent great diversity in Mgm1/OPA1 processing among the analyzed species indicates a surprising mechanistic heterogeneity in the regulation of mitochondrial inner membrane fusion.
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This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG – WA 3016/2-1).
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Communicated by M. Kupiec.
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Wagener, J. Regulation of mitochondrial inner membrane fusion: divergent evolution with similar solutions?. Curr Genet 62, 291–294 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-015-0542-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-015-0542-6