Mitochondrial Ca2+ oscillation induces mitophagy initiation through the PINK1-Parkin pathway

Cell Death Dis. 2021 Jun 19;12(7):632. doi: 10.1038/s41419-021-03913-3.

Abstract

Dysregulation of the PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy is essential to Parkinson's disease. Although important progress has been made in previous researches, the biochemical reagents that induce global and significant mitochondrial damage may still hinder deeper insights into the mechanisms of mitophagy. The origin of PINK1/Parkin pathway activation in mitophagy remains elusive. In this study, we develop an optical method, ultra-precise laser stimulation (UPLaS) that delivers a precise and noninvasive stimulation onto a submicron region in a single mitochondrial tubular structure. UPLaS excites localized mitochondrial Ca2+ (mitoCa2+) oscillations with tiny perturbation to mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) or mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. The UPLaS-induced mitoCa2+ oscillations can directly induce PINK1 accumulation and Parkin recruitment on mitochondria. The Parkin recruitment by UPLaS requires PINK1. Our results provide a precise and noninvasive technology for research on mitophagy, which stimulates target mitochondria with little damage, and reveal mitoCa2+ oscillation directly initiates the PINK1-Parkin pathway for mitophagy without MMP depolarization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Signaling*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Mitochondria / enzymology*
  • Mitochondria / pathology
  • Mitophagy*
  • Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Single-Cell Analysis
  • Time Factors
  • Time-Lapse Imaging
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • parkin protein
  • Protein Kinases
  • PTEN-induced putative kinase
  • Calcium