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Chongzhuo Zhu

Bio: Chongzhuo Zhu is an academic researcher from Chinese Academy of Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mitophagy & Mitochondrion. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 6 publications receiving 1303 citations.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is reported that FUNDC1, an integral mitochondrial outer-membrane protein, is a receptor for hypoxia-induced mitophagy, and its findings offer insights into mitochondrial quality control in mammalian cells.
Abstract: Accumulating evidence has shown that dysfunctional mitochondria can be selectively removed by mitophagy. Dysregulation of mitophagy is implicated in the development of neurodegenerative disease and metabolic disorders. How individual mitochondria are recognized for removal and how this process is regulated remain poorly understood. Here we report that FUNDC1, an integral mitochondrial outer-membrane protein, is a receptor for hypoxia-induced mitophagy. FUNDC1 interacted with LC3 through its typical LC3-binding motif Y(18)xxL(21), and mutation of the LC3-interaction region impaired its interaction with LC3 and the subsequent induction of mitophagy. Knockdown of endogenous FUNDC1 significantly prevented hypoxia-induced mitophagy, which could be reversed by the expression of wild-type FUNDC1, but not LC3-interaction-deficient FUNDC1 mutants. Mechanistic studies further revealed that hypoxia induced dephosphorylation of FUNDC1 and enhanced its interaction with LC3 for selective mitophagy. Our findings thus offer insights into mitochondrial quality control in mammalian cells.

1,142 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The data suggest that FUNDC1 regulates both mitochondrial fission or fusion and mitophagy and mediates the “coupling” across the double membrane for mitochondrial dynamics and quality control.
Abstract: Mitochondrial fragmentation due to imbalanced fission and fusion of mitochondria is a prerequisite for mitophagy, however, the exact “coupling” of mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy remains unclear. We have previously identified that FUNDC1 recruits MAP1LC3B/LC3B (LC3) through its LC3-interacting region (LIR) motif to initiate mitophagy in mammalian cells. Here, we show that FUNDC1 interacts with both DNM1L/DRP1 and OPA1 to coordinate mitochondrial fission or fusion and mitophagy. OPA1 interacted with FUNDC1 via its Lys70 (K70) residue, and mutation of K70 to Ala (A), but not to Arg (R), abolished the interaction and promoted mitochondrial fission and mitophagy. Mitochondrial stress such as selenite or FCCP treatment caused the disassembly of the FUNDC1-OPA1 complex while enhancing DNM1L recruitment to the mitochondria. Furthermore, we observed that dephosphorylation of FUNDC1 under stress conditions promotes the dissociation of FUNDC1 from OPA1 and association with DNM1L. Our data suggest that ...

288 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
20 Dec 2016-eLife
TL;DR: It is shown that manipulation of mitophagy by hypoxia or pharmacological approaches may be a novel strategy for cardioprotection and a new mechanism of the hypoxic preconditioning effect which reduces I/R injury.
Abstract: Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies many prevalent diseases including heart disease arising from acute ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Here, we demonstrate that mitophagy, which selectively removes damaged or unwanted mitochondria, regulated mitochondrial quality and quantity in vivo. Hypoxia induced extensive mitochondrial degradation in a FUNDC1-dependent manner in platelets, and this was blocked by in vivo administration of a cell-penetrating peptide encompassing the LIR motif of FUNDC1 only in wild-type mice. Genetic ablation of Fundc1 impaired mitochondrial quality and increased mitochondrial mass in platelets and rendered the platelets insensitive to hypoxia and the peptide. Moreover, hypoxic mitophagy in platelets protected the heart from worsening of I/R injury. This represents a new mechanism of the hypoxic preconditioning effect which reduces I/R injury. Our results demonstrate a critical role of mitophagy in mitochondrial quality control and platelet activation, and suggest that manipulation of mitophagy by hypoxia or pharmacological approaches may be a novel strategy for cardioprotection.

140 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The striking finding that BCL2L1/Bcl-xL, but not BCL 2, suppresses mitophagy mediated by FUNDC1 through its BH3 domain is reported.
Abstract: Receptor-mediated mitophagy is one of the major mechanisms of mitochondrial quality control essential for cell survival. We previously have identified FUNDC1 as a mitophagy receptor for selectively removing damaged mitochondria in mammalian systems. A critical unanswered question is how receptor-mediated mitophagy is regulated in response to cellular and environmental cues. Here, we report the striking finding that BCL2L1/Bcl-xL, but not BCL2, suppresses mitophagy mediated by FUNDC1 through its BH3 domain. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that BCL2L1, but not BCL2, interacts with and inhibits PGAM5, a mitochondrially localized phosphatase, to prevent the dephosphorylation of FUNDC1 at serine 13 (Ser13), which activates hypoxia-induced mitophagy. Our results showed that the BCL2L1-PGAM5-FUNDC1 axis is critical for receptor-mediated mitophagy in response to hypoxia and that BCL2L1 possesses unique functions distinct from BCL2.

137 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This FUNDC2/AKT/BCL-xL axis signifies a balance between platelet survival and apoptosis at the single organelle level and provides new insight for platelet-related diseases as well.
Abstract: Platelets undergo apoptosis in response to a variety of stimuli in the circulation. Mitochondria in platelets are essential for their apoptosis. Specifically, pro-survival protein BCL-xL on mitochondria is the key regulator of platelet lifespan. Here we identify an outer mitochondrial membrane protein FUNDC2 for platelet survival. FUNDC2 knockout mice carrying excessively apoptotic platelets exhibit thrombocytopenia in response to hypoxia. Mechanistically, FUNDC2 binds the lipid PIP3 via its unique, highly conserved N-terminal motif. FUNDC2 deficiency abrogates the phosphorylation of AKT and its substrate BAD in a PIP3/PI3K-dependent manner, which suppresses BCL-xL. Indeed, FUNDC2 deficiency shortens the platelet lifespan under stress. Thus, this FUNDC2/AKT/BCL-xL axis signifies a balance between platelet survival and apoptosis at the single organelle level and provides new insight for platelet-related diseases as well.

30 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
Daniel J. Klionsky1, Kotb Abdelmohsen2, Akihisa Abe3, Joynal Abedin4  +2519 moreInstitutions (695)
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macro-autophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes.
Abstract: In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation, it is imperative to target by gene knockout or RNA interference more than one autophagy-related protein. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways implying that not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.

5,187 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The relevance of these pathways in neurons where defects in mitophagy have been implicated in neurodegeneration are discussed, in addition to the importance of identifying specific regulators ofMitophagy that ensure selective sequestration of mitochondria as cargo.
Abstract: Selective autophagy of mitochondria, known as mitophagy, is an important mitochondrial quality control mechanism that eliminates damaged mitochondria. Mitophagy also mediates removal of mitochondria from developing erythrocytes, and contributes to maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA through the elimination of sperm-derived mitochondria. Recent studies have identified specific regulators of mitophagy that ensure selective sequestration of mitochondria as cargo. In yeast, the mitochondrial outer membrane protein autophagy-related gene 32 (ATG32) recruits the autophagic machinery to mitochondria, while mammalian Nix is required for degradation of erythrocyte mitochondria. The elimination of damaged mitochondria in mammals is mediated by a pathway comprised of PTEN-induced putative protein kinase 1 (PINK1) and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin. PINK1 and Parkin accumulate on damaged mitochondria, promote their segregation from the mitochondrial network, and target these organelles for autophagic degradation in a process that requires Parkin-dependent ubiquitination of mitochondrial proteins. Here we will review recent advances in our understanding of the different pathways of mitophagy. In addition, we will discuss the relevance of these pathways in neurons where defects in mitophagy have been implicated in neurodegeneration.

1,178 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes.
Abstract: In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.

1,129 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A panel of leading experts in the field attempts here to define several autophagy‐related terms based on specific biochemical features to formulate recommendations that facilitate the dissemination of knowledge within and outside the field of autophagic research.
Abstract: Over the past two decades, the molecular machinery that underlies autophagic responses has been characterized with ever increasing precision in multiple model organisms. Moreover, it has become clear that autophagy and autophagy-related processes have profound implications for human pathophysiology. However, considerable confusion persists about the use of appropriate terms to indicate specific types of autophagy and some components of the autophagy machinery, which may have detrimental effects on the expansion of the field. Driven by the overt recognition of such a potential obstacle, a panel of leading experts in the field attempts here to define several autophagy-related terms based on specific biochemical features. The ultimate objective of this collaborative exchange is to formulate recommendations that facilitate the dissemination of knowledge within and outside the field of autophagy research.

1,095 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The current view on how cargo selection and transport are achieved during selective autophagy is discussed, and molecular mechanisms that are congruent between autophagosomal membranes and vesicle trafficking pathways are pointed out.
Abstract: Selective autophagy is a quality control pathway through which cellular components are sequestered into double-membrane vesicles and delivered to specific intracellular compartments. This process requires autophagy receptors that link cargo to growing autophagosomal membranes. Selective autophagy is also implicated in various membrane trafficking events. Here we discuss the current view on how cargo selection and transport are achieved during selective autophagy, and point out molecular mechanisms that are congruent between autophagy and vesicle trafficking pathways.

977 citations