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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jan 2.
Published in final edited form as: Circ Res. 2014 Oct 16;116(1):167–182. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.303554

Figure 3. Molecular mechanism of mitochondrial fission and fusion.

Figure 3

The three molecular drivers of fission and fusion are schematically depicted as they would be associated with a normal mitochondrion. Replicative fission (left red panel) is initiated by recruitment of cytosolic Drp1 to the organelle, Drp1 oligomerization, and constriction of the parent into two daughters. Asymmetric fission uses the same mechanism. Fusion (right blue panel) requires initial Mfn1/Mfn2-mediated outer membrane tethering followed by fusion, and finally Opa1-mediated inner membrane fusion.