Bax/Bak promote sumoylation of DRP1 and its stable association with mitochondria during apoptotic cell death

• DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200610042
• Publication Date: 2007-05-01T00:51:44Z
• Authors: Sylwia Wasiak; Rodolfo Zunino; Heidi M. McBride
• Keywords: Mitochondrial apoptosis-induced channel; Yellow fluorescent protein; Bcl-2-associated X protein

Dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) plays an important role in mitochondrial fission at steady state and during apoptosis. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we demonstrate that healthy cells, yellow fluorescent (YFP)-DRP1 recycles between the cytoplasm mitochondria with a half-time of 50 s. Strikingly, apoptotic cell death, YFP-DRP1 undergoes transition from rapid recycling to stable membrane association. The cycling phase characterizes early stages apoptosis is independent Bax/Bak. However, Bax recruitment membranes but before loss potential, becomes locked on membrane, resulting undetectable recovery. This second DRP1 dependent presence Bax/Bak hFis1 fragmentation. Coincident activation, detect Bax/Bak-dependent stimulation small ubiquitin-like modifier-1 conjugation DRP1, modification correlates association membranes. Altogether, these data machinery regulates biochemical properties death.