title: G-protein β2 subunit interacts with mitofusin 1 to regulate mitochondrial fusion.
abstract: Mitofusins (Mfns) mediate the fusion of mitochondrial membranes. However, little is known about how Mfns are regulated to control mitochondrial fusion, which is a multistep process requiring tethering and docking of the outer membranes of two mitochondria. In this study, we report that guanine nucleotide binding protein-β subunit 2 (Gβ2), a WD40 repeats protein and a member of the β-subunits of the heterotrimeric G proteins, has a crucial function in mitochondrial fusion. Gβ2 was found to be enriched on the surface of mitochondria and interacted with mitofusin 1 (Mfn1) specifically. Gβ2 also regulated the mobility of Mfn1 on the surface of the mitochondrial membrane and affected the mitochondrial fusion. Depletion of endogenous Gβ2 resulted in mitochondrial fragmentation, which could be rescued by exogenous Gβ2. These findings have thus uncovered a novel role of Gβ2 in regulating mitochondrial fusion through its interaction with Mfn1.
authors.affiliation: The Joint Laboratory of Apoptosis and Cancer Biology, The State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jianchao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Weiming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chunsun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Pingsheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yushan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Chuanmao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044387:GTP-Binding Protein beta Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000378:metabolism*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D044387:GTP-Binding Protein beta Subunits; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; C470018:MFN2 protein, human; C470017:Mfn1 protein, human