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Microsporidia Promote Host Mitochondrial Fragmentation by Modulating DRP1 Phosphorylation

Jian Luo1,2, Jinzhi Xu1,2, Chaolu Xie1,2

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|July 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Microsporidia parasites hijack host mitochondria, causing fragmentation by altering dynamin 1-like protein (DRP1) phosphorylation. Inhibiting mitochondrial fragmentation reduces parasite replication, revealing a key mechanism for host-pathogen interaction.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Parasitology
  • Mitochondrial Dynamics

Background:

  • Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites infecting diverse hosts.
  • These pathogens manipulate host cell functions, including metabolism and immunity.
  • The precise mechanisms of microsporidia-host mitochondria interaction remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism by which microsporidia interact with and manipulate host mitochondria.
  • To investigate the role of host mitochondrial fragmentation (HMF) in microsporidian infection.

Main Methods:

  • Induction of HMF in host cells infected with microsporidian *Encephalitozoon*.
  • Analysis of dynamin 1-like protein (DRP1) phosphorylation status at Ser616 and Ser637.
  • Assessment of mitochondrial phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5) activation.
  • Treatment with mitochondrial division inhibitor 1 (Mdivi1) to evaluate the impact on parasite proliferation.

Main Results:

  • Microsporidian *Encephalitozoon* infection significantly induces host mitochondrial fragmentation (HMF).
  • Parasites promote DRP1 phosphorylation at Ser616 and dephosphorylation at Ser637 via PGAM5 activation, leading to DRP1 translocation and HMF.
  • Inhibition of HMF using Mdivi1 markedly reduces microsporidian replication.

Conclusions:

  • Microsporidia actively induce HMF as a strategy to facilitate their replication.
  • The study reveals a novel mechanism of host mitochondrial manipulation by microsporidia involving DRP1.
  • Findings provide insights into host-pathogen interactions at the mitochondrial level.
Keywords:
DRP1PGAM5host–pathogen interactionmicrosporidiamitochondrial fragmentation

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