Publications | mito-QC illuminates mitophagy and mitochondrial architecture in vivo.

Autophagic turnover of mitochondria, termed mitophagy, is proposed to be an essential quality-control (QC) mechanism of pathophysiological relevance in mammals. However, if and how mitophagy proceeds within specific cellular subtypes in vivo remains unclear, largely because of a lack of tractable tools and models. To address this, we have developed "mito-QC," a transgenic mouse with a pH-sensitive fluorescent mitochondrial signal. This allows the assessment of mitophagy and mitochondrial architecture in vivo. Using confocal microscopy, we demonstrate that mito-QC is compatible with classical and contemporary techniques in histochemistry and allows unambiguous in vivo detection of mitophagy and mitochondrial morphology at single-cell resolution within multiple organ systems. Strikingly, our model uncovers highly enriched and differential zones of mitophagy in the developing heart and within specific cells of the adult kidney. mito-QC is an experimentally advantageous tool of broad relevance to cell biology researchers within both discovery-based and translational research communities.

Principal Investigator(s):

Author(s):
McWilliams, T. G., Prescott, A. R., Allen, G. F., Tamjar, J., Munson, M. J., Thomson, C., Muqit, M. M. and Ganley, I.

PubMed:
27458135
Citation:
McWilliams, T. G., Prescott, A. R., Allen, G. F., Tamjar, J., Munson, M. J., Thomson, C., Muqit, M. M. and Ganley, I.
J Cell Biol
2016
214
333-345
PMID: 27458135