The Role of Dynamin-Related Protein 1, a Mediator of Mitochondrial Fission, in Apoptosis

The Role of Dynamin-Related Protein 1, a Mediator of Mitochondrial Fission, in Apoptosis


Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell-death, where a cell decides to kill itself in a controlled manner following a stress signal. A number of physiological changes occur inside the cell during apoptosis, one of which is the fragmentation of the mitochondrial network. Drp1 is an important protein involved in mitochondrial fission and can be seen to translocate from the cytosol to the outer membrane of mitochondria before fission. This paper finds that, in the COS-7 immortalized monkey kidney cell line, blocking the function of Drp1 prevents: mitochondrial fragmentation; the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential; the leaking of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm; and crucially, can block apoptosis itself.