Regulation of Mitoflash Biogenesis and Signaling by Mitochondrial Dynamics

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles undergoing constant network reorganization and exhibiting stochastic signaling events in the form of mitochondrial flashes (mitoflashes). Here we investigate whether and how mitochondrial network dynamics regulate mitoflash biogenesis and signaling. We found that mitoflash frequency was largely invariant when network fragmentized or redistributed in the absence of mitofusin (Mfn) 1, Mfn2, or Kif5b. However, Opa1 deficiency decreased spontaneous mitoflash frequency due to superimposing changes in respiratory function, whereas mitoflash response to non-metabolic stimulation was unchanged despite network fragmentation. In Drp1- or Mff-deficient cells whose mitochondria hyperfused into a single whole-cell reticulum, the frequency of mitoflashes of regular amplitude and duration was again unaltered, although brief and low-amplitude “miniflashes” emerged because of improved detection ability. As the network reorganized, however, the signal mass of mitoflash signaling was dynamically regulated in accordance with the degree of network connectivity. These findings demonstrate a novel functional role of mitochondrial network dynamics and uncover a magnitude- rather than frequency-modulatory mechanism in the regulation of mitoflash signaling. In addition, our data support a stochastic trigger model for the ignition of mitoflashes.