Mitofusin-1 (MNF1) is an essential transmembrane GTPase, which mediates mitochondrial fusion. Fusion of mitochondria occurs in many cell types and constitutes an important step in mitochondria morphology, which is balanced between fusion and fission. MFN1 acts independently of the cytoskeleton. Overexpression of MNF1 induces the formation of mitochondrial networks [, , , ]. This entry includes the protein Marf from Drosophila (also known as Mitofusin) and the closely related protein fzo-1 from C. elegans, which is a transmembrane GTPase reported to be encoded by a mitochondrial fusion gene [].
