Nature: Mitochondrial fission requires protein DRP1, but not dynein

Mitochondrial fission, which is required for the maintenance of the mitochondrial network, relies on a GTPase called dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1, also known as DNM1L)

Recently, it has been suggested that DRP1 is not sufficient for mitochondrial fission, while another GTPas called dynein-2 (dynamin-2, DNM2, also known as DYN2) is an important part of the mitochondrial fission complex

In a new study, researchers from the University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany report that mouse fibroblasts (hereafter referred to as dynein triple knockout cells) lack all three mammalian dyneins (DNM1, DNM2).

The related research results were published in the journal Nature on June 20, 2019

Considering that mitochondria and peroxisomes share the same fission mechanism, the researchers studied peroxisome fission and observed the same as mitochondrial fission

Thus, these findings suggest that DRP1 is essential for mitochondrial and peroxisomal fission, whereas mammalian dyneins DNM1, DNM2, and DNM3 are not

Reference: Tiago Branco Fonseca et al.