Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Mitochondria are factories in our cells that produce energy and components essential for life. When mitochondrial function goes awry, the cell's command-center, the nucleus, issues a rapid response to alleviate this dysfunction and prevent further damage. Therefore, the communication between the mitochondria and nucleus is critical for cellular health. Communication breakdown and failure to initiate damage control leads to irreversible mitochondrial harm which can contribute to various diseases including metabolic disorders, cancers, and neurodegeneration. However, how the mitochondria call for help remains elusive. This project aims to identify how mitochondria communicate their dysfunction to the nucleus to administer an appropriate cellular response. I have revealed that a specific protein, which normally resides inside the mitochondria, is re-routed to the nucleus upon mitochondrial damage. I predict that this protein might act as a messenger of mitochondrial dysfunction and could instruct the nucleus to coordinate a response team. By studying how mitochondria broadcast their afflictions to the nucleus, we can better understand the governance of mitochondrial damage control and subsequent clearance of damage by cellular clean-up crews. The proposed work could reveal vital mitochondrial processes that are implicated in disease and lead to the development of new approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat such diseases.