TY - JOUR TI - ER-associated mitochondrial division links the distribution of mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA in yeast AU - Murley, Andrew AU - Lackner, Laura L AU - Osman, Christof AU - West, Matthew AU - Voeltz, Gia K AU - Walter, Peter AU - Nunnari, Jodi A2 - Youle, Richard J VL - 2 PY - 2013 DA - 2013/05/14 SP - e00422 C1 - eLife 2013;2:e00422 DO - 10.7554/eLife.00422 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00422 AB - Mitochondrial division is important for mitochondrial distribution and function. Recent data have demonstrated that ER–mitochondria contacts mark mitochondrial division sites, but the molecular basis and functions of these contacts are not understood. Here we show that in yeast, the ER–mitochondria tethering complex, ERMES, and the highly conserved Miro GTPase, Gem1, are spatially and functionally linked to ER-associated mitochondrial division. Gem1 acts as a negative regulator of ER–mitochondria contacts, an activity required for the spatial resolution and distribution of newly generated mitochondrial tips following division. Previous data have demonstrated that ERMES localizes with a subset of actively replicating mitochondrial nucleoids. We show that mitochondrial division is spatially linked to nucleoids and that a majority of these nucleoids segregate prior to division, resulting in their distribution into newly generated tips in the mitochondrial network. Thus, we postulate that ER-associated division serves to link the distribution of mitochondria and mitochondrial nucleoids in cells. KW - ERMES KW - Gem1 KW - Miro KW - mitochondrial DNA KW - mitochondria JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -