CMT2A-linked mitochondrial hyperfusion-driving mutant MFN2 perturbs ER-mitochondrial associations and Ca2+ homeostasis

Background Information

Mitofusin2 (MFN2), an important molecular player that regulates mitochondrial fusion, also helps maintain the inter-organellar contact sites, referred as mitochondria associated membranes (MAMs) that exist between the ER and mitochondria. The study deals with a mutant of MFN2, R364W-MFN2, linked with the neuropathy, Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) disease. Previous studies show that this mutant promotes mitochondrial hyperfusion. Here, we try to decipher the role of R364W-MFN2 in affecting the ER mitochondrial associations at the MAM junctions and inter-organellar calcium signalling between the ER and the mitochondria.

Results

Our results show that R364W-MFN2 altered ER-mitochondria association at the MAM junctions, predisposed mitochondria towards cellular stress with the mitochondria undergoing rapid fission upon induction of mild stress and perturbs inter-organellar calcium homeostasis.

Conclusion

The results indicate that R364W-MFN2 not only affects mitochondrial morphology and dynamics but also modulate its interaction with the ER and Ca²⁺ signalling between the two organelles.

Significance

This study provides significant insight that presence of the R364W-MFN2 mutation makes cells susceptible towards stress, thus negatively affecting cellular health which altogether might culminate in the form of the CMT neuropathy.