title: mito-QC illuminates mitophagy and mitochondrial architecture in vivo.
abstract: Autophagic turnover of mitochondria, termed mitophagy, is proposed to be an essential quality-control (QC) mechanism of pathophysiological relevance in mammals. However, if and how mitophagy proceeds within specific cellular subtypes in vivo remains unclear, largely because of a lack of tractable tools and models. To address this, we have developed "mito-QC," a transgenic mouse with a pH-sensitive fluorescent mitochondrial signal. This allows the assessment of mitophagy and mitochondrial architecture in vivo. Using confocal microscopy, we demonstrate that mito-QC is compatible with classical and contemporary techniques in histochemistry and allows unambiguous in vivo detection of mitophagy and mitochondrial morphology at single-cell resolution within multiple organ systems. Strikingly, our model uncovers highly enriched and differential zones of mitophagy in the developing heart and within specific cells of the adult kidney. mito-QC is an experimentally advantageous tool of broad relevance to cell biology researchers within both discovery-based and translational research communities.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: McWilliams
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Signalling and Immunology, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK Dundee Imaging Facility, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0747-7317
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Prescott
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: George F G
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Jevgenia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tamjar
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9927-8157
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Munson
authors.affiliation: Dundee Imaging Facility, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Calum
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Miratul M K
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Muqit
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK i.ganley@dundee.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1481-9407
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Ganley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008322:Mammals / Q000378:metabolism; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D063306:Mitophagy; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity