Dynamics of mitochondrial DNA nucleoids regulated by mitochondrial fission is essential for maintenance of homogeneously active mitochondria during neonatal heart development.

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles, and their fusion and fission regulate cellular signaling, development, and mitochondrial homeostasis, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) distribution. Cardiac myocytes have a specialized cytoplasmic structure where large mitochondria are aligned into tightly packed myofibril bundles; however, recent studies have revealed that mitochondrial dynamics also plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of cardiomyocytes. Here, we precisely analyzed the role of mitochondrial fission in vivo.

Mitochondrial fission factor Drp1 maintains oocyte quality via dynamic rearrangement of multiple organelles.

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that change their morphology by active fusion and fission in response to cellular signaling and differentiation. The in vivo role of mitochondrial fission in mammals has been examined by using tissue-specific knockout (KO) mice of the mitochondria fission-regulating GTPase Drp1, as well as analyzing a human patient harboring a point mutation in Drp1, showing that Drp1 is essential for embryonic and neonatal development and neuronal function. During oocyte maturation and aging, structures of various membrane organelles including mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are changed dynamically, and their organelle aggregation is related to germ cell formation and epigenetic regulation.

TRIM8 modulates STAT3 activity through negative regulation of PIAS3.

TRIM8 is a member of the protein family defined by the presence of a common domain structure composed of a tripartite motif: a RING-finger, one or two B-box domains and a coiled-coil motif. Here, we show that TRIM8 interacts with protein inhibitor of activated STAT3 (PIAS3), which inhibits IL-6-dependent activation of STAT3. Ectopic expression of TRIM8 cancels the negative effect of PIAS3 on STAT3, either by degradation of PIAS3 through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway or exclusion of PIAS3 from the nucleus.