Sigma-1 receptor maintains ATAD3A as a monomer to inhibit mitochondrial fragmentation at the mitochondria-associated membrane in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Organelle contact sites are multifunctional platforms for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Alternations of the mitochondria-associated membranes (MAM), one of the organelle contact sites where the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is tethered to the mitochondria, have been involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the detailed mechanisms through which MAM integrity is disrupted in ALS have not been fully elucidated. Here, we examined whether AAA ATPase domain-containing protein 3A (ATAD3A), a mitochondrial membrane AAA ATPase accumulating at the MAM, is involved in ALS. We found that sigma-1 receptor (a1R), an ER-resident MAM protein causative for inherited juvenile ALS, required ATAD3A to maintain the MAM. In addition, a1R retained ATAD3A as a monomer, which is associated with an inhibition of mitochondrial fragmentation. ATAD3A dimerization and mitochondrial fragmentation were significantly induced in a1R-deficient or SOD1-linked ALS mouse spinal cords. Overall, these observations indicate that MAM induction by a1R depends on ATAD3A and that a1R maintains ATAD3A as a monomer to inhibit mitochondrial fragmentation. Our findings suggest that targeting a1R-ATAD3A axis would be promising for a novel therapeutic strategy to treat mitochondrial dysfunction in neurological disorders, including ALS.