title: Intersection of mitochondrial fission and fusion machinery with apoptotic pathways: Role of Mcl-1.
abstract: Mitochondria actively contribute to apoptotic cell death through mechanisms including the loss of integrity of the outer mitochondrial membrane, the release of intermembrane space proteins, such as cytochrome c, in the cytosol and the caspase cascade activation. This process is the result of careful cooperation not only among members of the Bcl-2 family but also dynamin-related proteins. These events are often accompanied by fission of the organelle, thus linking mitochondrial dynamics to apoptosis. Emerging evidences are suggesting a fine regulation of mitochondrial morphology by Bcl-2 family members and active participation of fission-fusion proteins in apoptosis. The debate whether in mitochondrial morphogenesis the role of Bcl-2 family members is functionally distinct from their role in apoptosis is still open and, above all, which morphological changes are associated with cell death sensitisation. This review will cover the findings on how the mitochondrial fission and fusion machinery may intersect apoptotic pathways focusing on recent advances on the key role played by Mcl-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morciano
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pedriali
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sbano
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iannitti
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. carlotta.giorgi@unife.it.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giorgi
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. paolo.pinton@unife.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D063154:Mitochondrial Dynamics; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C579095:MCL1 protein, human; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
keywords: Apoptosis; Bcl-2; Cancer; Drp1; Mcl-1; Mitochondrial dynamics