Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Visualizing Mitophagy with Fluorescent Dyes for Mitochondria and Lysosome
07:56

Visualizing Mitophagy with Fluorescent Dyes for Mitochondria and Lysosome

Published on: November 30, 2022

6.1K

Moving nuclear receptor Nur77 to damaged mitochondria for clearance by mitophagy

Mengjie Hu1, Gulimiran Alitongbieke1, Ying Su1,2

  • 1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.

Molecular & Cellular Oncology
|September 26, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Targeting damaged mitochondria with nuclear receptor Nur77 and celastrol can reverse inflammation. This process primes mitochondria for autophagy via interactions with TRAF2 and p62/SQSTM1, offering therapeutic potential.

Area of Science:

  • Mitochondrial biology
  • Autophagy
  • Chronic inflammatory diseases

Background:

  • Mitochondrial damage contributes to chronic inflammatory diseases.
  • Selective mitochondrial clearance pathways are crucial for cellular health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of nuclear receptor Nur77 and celastrol in mitochondrial quality control.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which these agents promote mitophagy in inflammation.

Main Methods:

  • Mitochondrial targeting assays
  • Protein-protein interaction studies (TRAF2, p62/SQSTM1)
  • Autophagy flux analysis in inflammatory models

Main Results:

  • Nuclear receptor Nur77 and celastrol target inflamed mitochondria.
  • They interact with TRAF2 and p62/SQSTM1 to promote selective mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy).
  • This process reverses pathological conditions associated with chronic inflammation.

Conclusions:

  • Nur77 and celastrol are key regulators of mitophagy in inflammatory settings.
  • Targeting this pathway offers a novel therapeutic strategy for chronic inflammatory diseases.
Keywords:
AutophagyNur77TRAF2celastrolmitochondriamitophagyp62/SQSTM1

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Detection of Mitophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans and Mammalian Cells Using Organelle-Specific Dyes11:59

Author Spotlight: Detection of Mitophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans and Mammalian Cells Using Organelle-Specific Dyes

Published on: May 19, 2023

3.2K
In Vitro and In Vivo Detection of Mitophagy in Human Cells, C. Elegans, and Mice08:40

In Vitro and In Vivo Detection of Mitophagy in Human Cells, C. Elegans, and Mice

Published on: November 22, 2017

18.3K

Related Concept Videos

Non-nuclear Inheritance01:29

Non-nuclear Inheritance

Most DNA resides in the nucleus of a cell. However, some organelles in the cell cytoplasm⁠—such as chloroplasts and mitochondria⁠—also have their own DNA. These organelles replicate their DNA independently of the nuclear DNA of the cell in which they reside. Non-nuclear inheritance describes the inheritance of genes from structures other than the nucleus.
23.3K
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors01:31

Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors

Nuclear receptors, or NRs, are unique transcription factors that regulate gene transcription and affect the cellular pathways involved in reproduction, development, or metabolism. Their ability to be stimulated by small lipophilic ligands and control vital cellular processes makes them ideal drug targets. Nearly 10-15% of currently prescribed drugs target these receptors.
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes:
2.5K
Peroxisomes and Mitochondria01:30

Peroxisomes and Mitochondria

Peroxisomes and mitochondria are two important oxygen-utilizing organelles in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria carry out cellular respiration—the process that converts energy from food into ATP. Peroxisomes carry out a variety of functions, primarily breaking down different substances, such as fatty acids.
The peroxisome is a single membrane-bound cellular organelle that can perform several different functions, including lipid metabolism and chemical detoxification. The enzymes within...
95.9K
Nuclear Export of mRNA02:31

Nuclear Export of mRNA

Before mRNAs are exported to the cytoplasm, it is crucial to check each mRNA for structural and functional integrity. Eukaryotic cells use several different mechanisms, collectively known as mRNA surveillance, to look for irregularities in mRNAs. Irregular or aberrant mRNA are rapidly degraded by various enzymes. If a defective mRNA escapes the surveillance, it would be translated into a protein which would either be non-functional or not function properly. One of the primary irregularities in...
8.8K
Nuclear Transmutation03:20

Nuclear Transmutation

Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed...
20.7K
Nuclear Stability03:18

Nuclear Stability

Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively charged protons together...
23.3K