Mitochondrial Calcium Transport During Autophagy Initiation
Overview
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While it has been shown that Ca dynamics at the ER membrane is essential for the initiation of certain types of autophagy such as starvation-induced autophagy, how mitochondrial Ca transport changes during the first stage of autophagy is not systemically characterized. An investigation of mitochondrial Ca dynamics during autophagy initiation may help us determine the relationship between autophagy and mitochondrial Ca fluxes. Here we examine acute mitochondrial and ER calcium responses to a panel of autophagy inducers in different cell types. Mitochondrial Ca transport and Ca transients at the ER membrane are triggered by different autophagy inducers. The mitophagy-inducer-initiated mitochondrial Ca uptake relies on mitochondrial calcium uniporter and may decelerate the following mitophagy. In neurons derived from a Parkinson's patient, mitophagy-inducer-triggered mitochondrial Ca influx is faster, which may slow the ensuing mitophagy.