Quantitative Mitochondrial Proteomics Reveals ANXA7 as a Crucial Factor in Mitophagy

Mitochondria are involved in many crucial cellular processes. Maintaining healthy mitochondria is essential for cellular homeostasis. Parkin-dependent mitophagy plays an important role in selectively eliminating damaged mitochondria in mammalian cells. However, mechanisms of Parkin-dependent mitophagy remain elusive. In this research, we performed data-independent acquisition-based quantitative mitochondrial proteomics to study the proteomic alterations of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP)-induced Parkin-mediated mitophagy. We identified 222 differentially expressed proteins, with 76 upregulations and 146 downregulations, which were potentially involved in mitophagy. We then demonstrated that annexin A7 (ANXA7), a calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding protein, can translocate to impaired mitochondria upon CCCP treatment, where it played a pivotal part in the process of Parkin-dependent mitophagy via interacting with BASP1. As a mitochondrial uncoupling agent, CCCP indirectly regulated ANXA7 and BASP1 to induce Parkin-dependent mitophagy.