Investigating the spatial and temporal dynamics of mitophagy in neurons - Livestream

Damaged mitochondria are removed from the cell via mitophagy. This pathway may be important for neuronal homeostasis, as mutations in pathway components cause PD and ALS. We used live imaging to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of mitophagy in primary neurons following mild oxidative stress. Mitophagy-associated proteins rapidly translocate to depolarized mitochondria and mitochondria were sequestered in autophagosomes within an hour of damage. Surprisingly, the downstream degradation of engulfed mitochondria was delayed, primarily due to slow acidification of the resulting mitophagosomes. Expression of an ALS-associated mutation disrupted mitochondrial network function, and stress exacerbated this effect. These results suggest that slow turnover of damaged mitochondria may increase neuronal susceptibility to neurodegeneration.

Speaker: Chantell Evans, Univ. of Pennsylvania

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