Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Dominant optic atrophy (DOA) and axonal peripheral neuropathy (Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2, or CMT2) are hereditary neurodegenerative disorders most commonly caused by mutations in the canonical mitochondrial fusion genes OPA1 and MFN2, respectively. In yeast, homologs of OPA1 (Mgm1) and MFN2 (Fzo1) work in concert with Ugo1, for which no human equivalent has been identified thus far. By whole-exome sequencing of patients with optic atrophy and CMT2, we identified four families with recessive mutations in SLC25A46. We demonstrate that SLC25A46, like Ugo1, is a modified carrier protein that has been recruited to the outer mitochondrial membrane and interacts with the inner membrane remodeling protein mitofilin (Fcj1). Loss of function in cultured cells and in zebrafish unexpectedly leads to increased mitochondrial connectivity, while severely affecting the development and maintenance of neurons in the fish. The discovery of SLC25A46 strengthens the genetic overlap between optic atrophy and CMT2 while exemplifying a new class of modified solute transporters linked to mitochondrial dynamics.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/ng.3354

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Genet

Publication Date

08/2015

Volume

47

Pages

926 - 932

Keywords

Animals, Animals, Genetically Modified, COS Cells, Cercopithecus aethiops, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, Embryo, Nonmammalian, Exome, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, HEK293 Cells, Humans, Male, Membrane Proteins, Microscopy, Confocal, Microscopy, Electron, Transmission, Mitochondrial Membranes, Mitochondrial Proteins, Muscle Proteins, Mutation, Optic Atrophy, Autosomal Dominant, Pedigree, Phosphate Transport Proteins, Protein Binding, RNA Interference, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Zebrafish