Abstract 2038 Functionally conserved inner mitochondrial membrane proteins CCDC51 and Mdm33 demarcate a subset of fission events

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that exist in a semi-continuous network whose morphology is maintained by the balanced processes of fission and fusion. While extensive work has examined the mechanisms of mitochondrial fission, it remains unclear whether internal mitochondrial proteins in metazoans play a direct role in the process. Previously, the yeast inner membrane protein Mdm33 was shown to be required for normal mitochondrial morphology and has been hypothesized to be involved in mitochondrial fission.