Mitochondrial Stress-Induced Carboxyl-Terminal Extensions: A Critical Link Between Ribosome Associated Quality Control and Mitochondrial Quality Control

Authors

Yinglu Tang, Southern Methodist UniversityFollow

Abstract

Ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) plays a crucial role in cellular homeostasis by identifying and resolving stalled translation events. Increasing evidence suggests a link between RQC and mitophagy, the selective degradation of damaged mitochondria. In this study, we demonstrate that blocking msiCTE inhibits mitophagy, establishing it as a key regulatory factor in this process. We further show that mitochondrial stress recruits RQC factors, facilitating selective mitophagy through specific autophagy receptors. Additionally, our findings reveal that a certain length of artificial CAT-tails can trigger mitophagy and that modulating RQC factors directly impacts mitophagy flux. These insights deepen our understanding of how ribosome surveillance mechanisms influence mitochondrial quality control and cellular stress adaptation.

Degree Date

Summer 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor

Zhihao Wu

Number of Pages

156

Format

.pdf

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Recommended Citation

Tang, Yinglu, "Mitochondrial Stress-Induced Carboxyl-Terminal Extensions: A Critical Link Between Ribosome Associated Quality Control and Mitochondrial Quality Control" (2025). Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations. 30.
https://scholar.smu.edu/hum_sci_biologicalsciences_etds/30