title: Regulation of mitochondrial inner membrane fusion: divergent evolution with similar solutions?
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.
authors.affiliation: Max von Pettenkofer-Institut für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Pettenkoferstraße 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany. johannes.wagener@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagener
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008928:Mitochondria; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes; D059748:Proteolysis
keywords: Alternative topogenesis; Fission; Fusion; Mgm1; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial dynamics; Mitochondrial quality control; Msp1; OMA1; OPA1; PARL; Pcp1; Rhomboid; dOpa1