Date of Award

12-2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program

Biomedical Sciences

Track

Cancer and Developmental Biology

Research Advisor

Joseph T. Opferman, Ph.D.

Committee

Douglas Green, Ph.D. Susan Senogles, Ph.D. Charles Sherr, Ph.D. Gerard Zambetti, Ph.D.

Keywords

Apoptosis, Cancer, Cell Death, MCL-1, Metabolism, Mitochondria

Abstract

MCL-1, an anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family member that is essential for the survival of multiple cell lineages, is also among the most highly amplified genes in cancer. Although MCL-1 is known to oppose cell death, precisely how it functions to promote survival of normal and malignant cells is poorly understood. Here, I report that different forms of MCL-1 reside in distinct mitochondrial locations and exhibit separable functions. On the outer mitochondrial membrane, a MCL-1 isoform acts like other anti-apoptotic BCL-2 molecules to antagonize apoptosis, whereas an amino-terminally truncated isoform of MCL-1 that is imported into the mitochondrial matrix is necessary to facilitate normal mitochondrial fusion, ATP production, membrane potential, respiration, cristae ultrastructure, and maintenance of oligomeric ATP synthase. My results provide insight into how MCL-1's surprisingly diverse salutary functions may control the survival of both normal and cancer cells.

DOI

10.21007/etd.cghs.2012.0242

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