TNIP1 inhibits Mitophagy via interaction with FIP200 and TAX1BP1

Abstract

Mitophagy is a form of selective autophagy that disposes of superfluous and potentially damage-inducing organelles in a tightly controlled manner. While the machinery involved in mitophagy induction is well known, the regulation of the components is less clear. For example, it is still unknown how the ULK1 complex is dissociated prior to closing of the autophagosome. Here, using Chemically Inducible Dimerization (CID) and mitophagy assays with the fluorescent probe mtKeima, we reveal that the ubiquitin binding domain-containing protein TNIP1 is able to induce mitophagy when ectopically targeted to mitochondria. Conversely, we demonstrate that TNIP1 knock down accelerates mitophagy rates, and that ectopic TNIP1 negatively regulates the rate of mitophagy. These functions of TNIP1 depend on a previously unrecognized, evolutionarily conserved LIR motif as well as its AHD3 domain, which are required for binding to the ULK1 complex member FIP200 and the autophagy receptor TAX1BP1, respectively. Taken together, our findings identify a novel negative regulator of mitophagy that acts at the early steps of autophagosome biogenesis and provide a molecular rationale for how the ULK1 complex might be dissociated from the closing autophagosome.