Mitofusin-1 Deficiency in the Heart

Our latest podcast focuses on mitochondrial dynamics, as senior author Ken Walsh (Boston University) and expert Elizabeth “Tish” Murphy (NHLBI) join Consulting Editor Michael Wolin to discuss the recent study by Papanicolau et al, showing surprising effects of cardiac deletion of the key mitochondrial membrane protein mitofusin-1. Listen in as we uncover the unexpected impact of mitofusin-1 and mitofusin-2 on mitochondrial size and resistance to stress.

Kyriakos N. Papanicolaou, Gladys A. Ngoh, Errine R Dabkowski, Kelly A O'Connell, Rogerio F. Ribeiro, William C. Stanley, and Kenneth Walsh. Cardiomyocyte deletion of mitofusin-1 leads to mitochondrial fragmentation and improves tolerance to ROS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published ahead of print October 28, 2011, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00833.2011.