Targeting mitochondrial dynamics to overcome therapeutic resistance

Abstract

Mitochondria are frequently described as the powerhouse of the cell for apparent reasons. However, these organelles are dynamic was not known until recently. Scientists have found that mitochondria must undergo well-organized cycles of fragmentation/fission and fusion to maintain structural integrity, size, and distribution. These fission and fusion events are collectively called “mitochondrial dynamics” and are considered crucial for regulating organelle function. Mitochondrial fission accounts for the division of one mitochondrion into two. It is regulated by GTPase dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) and its adaptor proteins such as mitochondrial fission protein 1 (FIS1), mitochondrial fission factor (MFF), and mitochondrial dynamics protein of 49 and 51 kDa (Mid49, Mid51). DRP1, a cytosolic protein, is recruited to mitochondria to cause fragmentation upon activation through upregulation of serine 616 and downregulation of serine 637 phosphorylation.