| First Author | Segalés J | Year | 2013 |
| Journal | Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab | Volume | 305 |
| Issue | 10 | Pages | E1208-21 |
| PubMed ID | 23941871 | Mgi Jnum | J:203857 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5528934 | Doi | 10.1152/ajpendo.00546.2012 |
| Citation | Segales J, et al. (2013) A form of mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) lacking the transmembrane domains and the COOH-terminal end stimulates metabolism in muscle and liver cells. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 305(10):E1208-21 |
| abstractText | Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2), a protein that participates in mitochondrial fusion, is required to maintain normal mitochondrial metabolism in skeletal muscle and liver. Given that muscle Mfn2 is repressed in obese or type 2 diabetic subjects, this protein may have a potential pathophysiological role in these conditions. To evaluate whether the metabolic effects of Mfn2 can be dissociated from its function in mitochondrial dynamics, we studied a form of human Mfn2, lacking the two transmembrane domains and the COOH-terminal coiled coil (DeltaMfn2). This form localized in mitochondria but did not alter mitochondrial morphology in cells or in skeletal muscle fibers. The expression of DeltaMfn2 in mouse skeletal muscle stimulated glucose oxidation and enhanced respiratory control ratio, which occurred in the absence of changes in mitochondrial mass. DeltaMfn2 did not stimulate mitochondrial respiration in Mfn2-deficient muscle cells. The expression of DeltaMfn2 in mouse liver or in hepatoma cells stimulated gluconeogenesis. In addition, DeltaMfn2 activated basal and maximal respiration both in muscle and liver cells. In all, we show that a form of Mfn2 lacking mitochondrial fusion activity stimulates mitochondrial function and enhances glucose metabolism in muscle and liver tissues. This study suggests that Mfn2 regulates metabolism independently of changes in mitochondrial morphology. |
