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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

In Vitro and In Vivo Detection of Mitophagy in Human Cells, C. Elegans, and Mice
Published on: November 22, 2017
When MFN2 (mitofusin 2) met autophagy: A new age for old muscles
David Sebastián1,2,3, Antonio Zorzano1,2,3
1a Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Barcelona , Spain.
Abstract:
A long-standing quest is to define the mechanisms responsible for the mitochondrial dysfunction and accumulation of damaged mitochondria that occur during aging. Indeed, those defects are considered major contributors to the aging process. We have analyzed the effect of aging on the muscle expression of Mfn2 and the impact of Mfn2 ablation on muscle function. Our findings reveal that Mfn2 is repressed in muscle during aging, and that is a determinant for the inhibition of autophagy, and mitochondrial quality control, which lead to the accumulation of damaged mitochondria.
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