TY - JOUR TI - Neurotrophins induce fission of mitochondria along embryonic sensory axons AU - Armijo-Weingart, Lorena AU - Ketschek, Andrea AU - Sainath, Rajiv AU - Pacheco, Almudena AU - Smith, George M AU - Gallo, Gianluca A2 - Chao, Moses V A2 - Bronner, Marianne E A2 - Kassabov, Stefan VL - 8 PY - 2019 DA - 2019/12/02 SP - e49494 C1 - eLife 2019;8:e49494 DO - 10.7554/eLife.49494 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.49494 AB - Neurotrophins are growth factors that have a multitude of roles in the nervous system. We report that neurotrophins induce the fission of mitochondria along embryonic chick sensory axons driven by combined PI3K and Mek-Erk signaling. Following an initial burst of fission, a new steady state of neurotrophin-dependent mitochondria length is established. Mek-Erk controls the activity of the fission mediator Drp1 GTPase, while PI3K may contribute to the actin-dependent aspect of fission. Drp1-mediated fission is required for nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced collateral branching in vitro and expression of dominant negative Drp1 impairs the branching of axons in the developing spinal cord in vivo. Fission is also required for NGF-induced mitochondria-dependent intra-axonal translation of the actin regulatory protein cortactin, a previously determined component of NGF-induced branching. Collectively, these observations unveil a novel biological function of neurotrophins; the regulation of mitochondrial fission and steady state mitochondrial length and density in axons. KW - axon KW - Drp1 KW - fission KW - branching KW - ngf KW - neurotrophins JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -