AUTHOR=Fang Lei , Li Jia , Flammer Josef , Neutzner Albert TITLE=MARCH5 inactivation supports mitochondrial function during neurodegenerative stress JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience VOLUME=7 YEAR=2013 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2013.00176 DOI=10.3389/fncel.2013.00176 ISSN=1662-5102 ABSTRACT=

Neuronal cell death is accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction with mitochondrial maintenance critical to neuronal survival. The mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase MARCH5 has dual roles in the upkeep of mitochondrial function. MARCH5 is involved in targeted degradation of proteins harmful to mitochondria and impacts mitochondrial morphology upstream of the fission protein Drp1. In a neuronal cell model, dominant-negative MARCH5 prevents mitochondrial fragmentation during neurodegenerative stress induced by the neuron-specific reactive oxygen generator 6-hydroxydopamine, the complex I inhibitor rotenone or Alzheimer’s-related amyloid beta peptide. In addition, preservation of mitochondrial function in terms of membrane potential and lower reactive oxygen generation was observed following inactivation of MARCH5. Our findings connect MARCH5 to neuronal stress responses and further emphasize the link between mitochondrial dynamics and function.