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Cell Press, Molecular Cell, 5(58), p. 900, 2015

DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2015.05.028

Cell Press, Molecular Cell, 5(57), p. 860-872, 2015

DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2015.01.018

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Limited Mitochondrial Permeabilization Causes DNA Damage and Genomic Instability in the Absence of Cell Death

Journal article published in 2015 by Gabriel Ichim, Jonathan Lopez, Shafiq U. Ahmed, Nathiya Muthalagu, Evangelos Giampazolias, M. Eugenia Delgado, Martina Haller, Joel S. Riley, Susan M. Mason, Dimitris Athineos ORCID, Melissa J. Parsons, Bert van de Kooij, Lisa Bouchier-Hayes, Anthony J. Chalmers, Rogier W. Rooswinkel and other authors.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

During apoptosis, the mitochondrial outer membrane is permeabilized, leading to the release of cytochrome c that activates downstream caspases. Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) has historically been thought to occur synchronously and completely throughout a cell, leading to rapid caspase activation and apoptosis. Using a new imaging approach, we demonstrate that MOMP is not an all-or-nothing event. Rather, we find that a minority of mitochondria can undergo MOMP in a stress-regulated manner, a phenomenon we term “minority MOMP.” Crucially, minority MOMP leads to limited caspase activation, which is insufficient to trigger cell death. Instead, this caspase activity leads to DNA damage that, in turn, promotes genomic instability, cellular transformation, and tumorigenesis. Our data demonstrate that, in contrast to its well-established tumor suppressor function, apoptosis also has oncogenic potential that is regulated by the extent of MOMP. These findings have important implications for oncogenesis following either physiological or therapeutic engagement of apoptosis.