title: Degradation of paternal mitochondria by fertilization-triggered autophagy in C. elegans embryos.
abstract: The mitochondrial genome is believed to be maternally inherited in many eukaryotes. Sperm-derived paternal mitochondria enter the oocyte cytoplasm upon fertilization and then normally disappear during early embryogenesis. However, the mechanism responsible for this clearance has been unknown. Here, we show that autophagy, which delivers cytosolic components to lysosomes for degradation, is required for the elimination of paternal mitochondria in Caenorhabditis elegans. Immediately after fertilization, sperm-derived components trigger the localized induction of autophagy around sperm mitochondria. Autophagosomes engulf paternal mitochondria, resulting in their lysosomal degradation during early embryogenesis. In autophagy-defective zygotes, paternal mitochondria and their genome remain even in the first larval stage. Thus, fertilization-triggered autophagy is required for selective degradation of paternal mitochondria and thereby maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA.
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
authors: Miyuki
authors: M
authors: Sato
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Sato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005306:Fertilization; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D057850:Hermaphroditic Organisms; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000648:ultrastructure; D054875:Ubiquitination
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins