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Quality control

Alternative to lysosomal degradation: mitochondrial removal via EVs

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 24, page 776 (2023)Cite this article

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Targeting to the lysosome is the main route of removal for damaged or superfluous cellular components. Liang et al. now show that mitochondria can be expelled from cells via extracellular vesicles (EVs) as an alternative route of quality control.

MVBs can be targeted either to the plasma membrane for EV secretion or to the lysosome for degradation. The small GTPase RAB7 facilitates fusion of MVBs with the lysosome, and knockout of Rab7 in MEFs caused increased secretion of EVs containing mitochondria. These mitochondria-containing EVs were characterized by large size and presence of the tetraspanin CD81. Thus, mitochondria can be removed from cells via a specific subpopulation of large EVs as an alternative route to lysosomal degradation.

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  • Dixson, A. C. et al. Context-specific regulation of extracellular vesicle biogenesis and cargo selection. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 24, 454–476 (2023)

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  1. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology http://www.nature.com/nrm/

    Paulina Strzyz

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  1. Paulina Strzyz
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Correspondence to Paulina Strzyz.

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Strzyz, P. Alternative to lysosomal degradation: mitochondrial removal via EVs. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 24, 776 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-023-00660-5

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