Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026

Subcellular Fractionation for ERK Activation Upon Mitochondrial-derived Peptide Treatment
Published on: September 25, 2017
Mitochondria: a kinase anchoring protein 1, a signaling platform for mitochondrial form and function
Ronald A Merrill1, Stefan Strack1
1Department of Pharmacology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
Abstract:
Mitochondria are best known for their role as cellular power plants, but they also serve as signaling hubs, regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, and survival. A kinase anchoring protein 1 (AKAP1) is a scaffold protein that recruits protein kinase A (PKA) and other signaling proteins, as well as RNA, to the outer mitochondrial membrane. AKAP1 thereby integrates several second messenger cascades to modulate mitochondrial function and associated physiological and pathophysiological outcomes. Here, we review what is currently known about AKAP1's macromolecular interactions in health and disease states, including obesity. We also discuss dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), the enzyme that catalyzes mitochondrial fission, as one of the key substrates of the PKA/AKAP1 signaling complex in neurons. Recent evidence suggests that AKAP1 has critical roles in neuronal development and survival, which are mediated by inhibitory phosphorylation of Drp1 and maintenance of mitochondrial integrity.
Related Concept Videos
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
MAPK Signaling Cascades
Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria
Sorting of outer membrane proteins:
Mitochondrial outer membrane proteins are of two types: the transmembrane, beta-barrel porins, and the membrane-anchored, alpha-helical proteins. Beta-barrel porin precursors are translocated by the TOM complex and inserted into the outer mitochondrial membrane by the SAM complex. In contrast,...
Mitochondrial Protein Sorting
Most of these mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nucleus and imported to the mitochondria as unfolded or loosely folded precursors. Mitochondrial precursors...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Mitochondria

