Division of Biology and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
Annu Rev Genet. 2012;46:265-87. doi: 10.1146/annurev-genet-110410-132529. Epub 2012 Aug 29.
Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that continually undergo fusion and fission. These opposing processes work in concert to maintain the shape, size, and number of mitochondria and their physiological function. Some of the major molecules mediating mitochondrial fusion and fission in mammals have been discovered, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are only partially unraveled. In particular, the cast of characters involved in mitochondrial fission needs to be clarified. By enabling content mixing between mitochondria, fusion and fission serve to maintain a homogeneous and healthy mitochondrial population. Mitochondrial dynamics has been linked to multiple mitochondrial functions, including mitochondrial DNA stability, respiratory capacity, apoptosis, response to cellular stress, and mitophagy. Because of these important functions, mitochondrial fusion and fission are essential in mammals, and even mild defects in mitochondrial dynamics are associated with disease. A better understanding of these processes likely will ultimately lead to improvements in human health.
线粒体是动态细胞器，不断经历融合和裂变。这些相反的过程协同工作，以维持线粒体的形状、大小和数量及其生理功能。已经发现了一些介导哺乳动物中线粒体融合和裂变的主要分子，但潜在的分子机制还只是部分阐明。特别是，参与线粒体裂变的角色需要澄清。通过使线粒体之间的内容混合，融合和裂变有助于维持同质和健康的线粒体群体。线粒体动力学与多种线粒体功能有关，包括线粒体 DNA 稳定性、呼吸能力、细胞凋亡、对细胞应激的反应和线粒体自噬。由于这些重要的功能，线粒体融合和裂变在哺乳动物中是必不可少的，即使线粒体动力学的轻微缺陷也与疾病有关。对这些过程的更好理解可能最终会导致人类健康的改善。
