Mitochondrial Rab GAPs govern autophagosome biogenesis during mitophagy

Elife. 2014 Feb 25:3:e01612. doi: 10.7554/eLife.01612.

Abstract

Damaged mitochondria can be selectively eliminated by mitophagy. Although two gene products mutated in Parkinson's disease, PINK1, and Parkin have been found to play a central role in triggering mitophagy in mammals, how the pre-autophagosomal isolation membrane selectively and accurately engulfs damaged mitochondria remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that TBC1D15, a mitochondrial Rab GTPase-activating protein (Rab-GAP), governs autophagosome biogenesis and morphology downstream of Parkin activation. To constrain autophagosome morphogenesis to that of the cargo, TBC1D15 inhibits Rab7 activity and associates with both the mitochondria through binding Fis1 and the isolation membrane through the interactions with LC3/GABARAP family members. Another TBC family member TBC1D17, also participates in mitophagy and forms homodimers and heterodimers with TBC1D15. These results demonstrate that TBC1D15 and TBC1D17 mediate proper autophagic encapsulation of mitochondria by regulating Rab7 activity at the interface between mitochondria and isolation membranes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01612.001.

Keywords: Drp1; Fis1; Parkin; TBC1D15; autophagy; rab7.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Autophagy*
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 8 Family
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / genetics
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / metabolism*
  • HCT116 Cells
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Lysosomes / metabolism*
  • Lysosomes / pathology
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Microfilament Proteins / genetics
  • Microfilament Proteins / metabolism
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Microtubules / metabolism
  • Mitochondria / enzymology*
  • Mitochondria / pathology
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / genetics
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism
  • Mitophagy*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Signal Transduction
  • Time Factors
  • Transfection
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • rab7 GTP-Binding Proteins

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 8 Family
  • FIS1 protein, human
  • GABARAP protein, human
  • GABARAPL2 protein, human
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins
  • MAP1LC3A protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • TBC1D15 protein, human
  • TBC1D17 protein, human
  • rab7 GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rab7 GTP-binding proteins, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • parkin protein
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins