# Dissecting a novel mechanism of mitochondrial quality control

> **NIH NIH F31** · RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J. · 2020 · $45,520

## Abstract

Mitochondria provide energy, execute key steps of metabolism, control calcium, and
modulate cellular decisions for life/death. In light of these critical functions in cell, tissue,
and organism health, it is not surprising that mitochondrial functionality plays an
essential role in neuronal maintenance in everyday biology, aging, and late-onset
neurodegenerative disease.
Mitochondrial quality control is thought to be primarily executed through cell-internal
elimination via mitophagy and lysosome degradation. However, the Driscoll lab has
discovered, and recently published, that mitochondria can be thrown out of neurons in
large membrane bound vesicles we call mito-exophers. Damaged mitochondria have
been observed in exophers budding from C. elegans touch neurons; mitochondria can
be observed in exophers extruded from C. elegans dopaminergic neurons as well.
Genetic and pharmacological treatments that compromise mitochondria can increase
numbers of exophers produced by touch neurons, suggesting that throwing away
defective mitochondria may be a mechanism for neuronal quality control. Indeed, some
mammalian neurons can throw out their mitochondria for degradation by neighboring
astrocytes (Davis, PNAS 11:9633), suggesting relevance across phyla.
My project will: 1) investigate the basic biology of mito-exopher production by defining
when they are produced and quantitating features of retained vs. extruded
mitochondria over lifetime; 2) test the roles of stress and Parkinson's disease homolog
genes on mitochondrial quality and mito-exopher production; and 3) begin to address
whether neurons that produce mito-exophers maintain better functionality and
mitochondrial populations as compared to those that do not produce mito-exophers.
My work will contribute to defining the foundation of a newly identified mechanism in
mitochondrial quality control. I anticipate relevance to understanding neuronal
maintenance and neuronal degeneration, especially as associated with perturbed mito-
chondrial quality as may occur in Parkinson's disease and many other human disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9828788
- **Project number:** 5F31NS101969-03
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J.
- **Principal Investigator:** Anna Joelle Smart
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $45,520
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-12-01 → 2021-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9828788

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9828788, Dissecting a novel mechanism of mitochondrial quality control (5F31NS101969-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9828788. Licensed CC0.

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