Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
5-1-2025
Journal
PLoS Genetics
Abstract
Maintaining protein homeostasis is essential for cellular health. Our previous research uncovered a cross-compartmental Mitochondrial to Cytosolic Stress Response, activated by the perturbation of mitochondrial proteostasis, which ultimately results in the improvement of proteostasis in the cytosol. Here, we found that this signaling axis also influences the unfolded protein response of the endoplasmic reticulum (UPRER), suggesting the presence of a Mitochondria to ER Stress Response (MERSR). During MERSR, the IRE1 branch of UPRER is inhibited, introducing a previously unknown regulatory component of MCSR. Moreover, proteostasis is enhanced through the upregulation of the PERK-eIF2α signaling pathway, increasing phosphorylation of eIF2α and improving the ER's ability to handle proteostasis. MERSR activation in both polyglutamine and amyloid-beta peptide-expressing C. elegans disease models also led to improvement in both aggregate burden and overall disease outcome. These findings shed light on the coordination between the mitochondria and the ER in maintaining cellular proteostasis and provide further evidence for the importance of intercompartmental signaling.
Keywords
Proteostasis, Mitochondria, Caenorhabditis elegans, Animals, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Unfolded Protein Response, Signal Transduction, Endoplasmic Reticulum, eIF-2 Kinase, Humans, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins, Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases, Peptides, Phosphorylation
DOI
10.1371/journal.pgen.1011700
PMID
40338975
PMCID
PMC12088515
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
5-8-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes
Included in
Bioinformatics Commons, Biomedical Informatics Commons, Genetic Phenomena Commons, Medical Genetics Commons, Oncology Commons