Mitochondria play a dual role in the heart, responsible for meeting energetic demands and regulating cell death. Current paradigms hold that mitochondrial fission and fragmentation are the result of pathologic stresses such as ischemia, are an indicator of poor mitochondrial health, and lead to mitophagy and cell death. However, recent studies demonstrate that inhibiting fission also results in cardiac impairment, suggesting that fission is important for maintaining normal mitochondrial function. In this study, we identify a novel role for mitochondrial fragmentation as a normal physiological adaptation to increased energetic demand. Using two models of exercise, we demonstrate that “physiologic” mitochondrial fragmentation occurs, results in enhanced mitochondrial function, and is mediated through beta 1-adrenergic receptor signaling. Similar to pathologic fragmentation, physiologic fragmentation is induced by activation of Drp1; however, unlike pathologic fragmentation, membrane potential is maintained and regulators of mitophagy are downregulated. To confirm the role of fragmentation as a physiological adaptation to exercise, we inhibited the pro-fission mediator Drp1 in mice using the peptide inhibitor P110 and had mice undergo exercise. Mice treated with P110 had significantly decreased exercise capacity, decreased fragmentation and inactive Drp1 vs controls. To further confirm these findings, we generated cardiac-specific Drp1 KO mice and had them undergo exercise. Mice with cardiac specific Drp1 KO had significantly decreased exercise capacity and abnormally large mitochondria compared to controls. These findings indicate the requirement for physiological mitochondrial fragmentation to meet the energetic demands of exercise and support the still evolving conceptual framework, where fragmentation plays a role in the balance between mitochondrial maintenance of normal physiology and response to disease.
Hypoxia Signaling Is Responsible for Muscular Adaptation to Exercise
