Impaired Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis Research Articles

Organization and expression of the mammalian mitochondrial genome.

The mitochondrial genome encodes core subunits of the respiratory chain that drives oxidative phosphorylation and is, therefore, essential for energy conversion. Advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies and cryoelectron microscopy have shed light on the structure and organization of the mitochondrial genome and revealed unique mechanisms of mitochondrial gene regulation. New animal models of impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis have shown how the coordinated regulation of the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial translation machineries ensures the correct assembly of the respiratory chain complexes. These new technologies and disease models are providing a deeper understanding of mitochondrial genome organization and expression and of the diseases caused by impaired energy conversion, including mitochondrial, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. They also provide avenues for the development of treatments for these conditions.

CLPP deficiency ameliorates neurodegeneration caused by impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis.

Mitochondria are essential organelles found in every eukaryotic cell, required to convert food into usable energy. Therefore, it is not surprising that mutations in either mtDNA or nuclear DNA-encoded genes of mitochondrial proteins cause diseases affecting the oxidative phosphorylation system, which are heterogeneous from a clinical, genetic, biochemical and molecular perspective and can affect patients at any age. Despite all this, it is surprising that our understanding of the mechanisms governing mitochondrial gene expression and its associated pathologies remain superficial and therapeutic interventions largely unexplored. We recently showed that loss of the mitochondrial matrix protease caseinolytic protease proteolytic subunit (CLPP) ameliorates phenotypes in cells characterized by defects in oxidative phosphorylation maintenance. Here, we build upon this finding by showing that CLPP depletion is indeed beneficial in vivo for various types of neuronal populations, including Purkinje cells in the cerebellum and cortical and hippocampal neurons in the forebrain, as it strongly improves distinct phenotypes of mitochondria encephalopathy, driven by the deficiency of the mitochondrial aspartyl tRNA synthase DARS2. In the absence of CLPP, neurodegeneration of DARS2-deficient neurons is delayed as they present milder oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction. This in turn leads to a decreased neuroinflammatory response and significantly improved motor functions in both double-deficient models (Purkinje cell-specific or forebrain neuron-specific Dars2/Clpp double knockout mice). We propose that diminished turnover of respiratory complex I caused by the loss of CLPP is behind the improved phenotype in Dars2/Clpp double knockout animals, even though this intervention might not restore respiratory complex I activity but rather improve mitochondrial cristae morphology or help maintain the NAD+/NADH ratio inside mitochondria. These results also open the possibility of targeting CLPP activity in many other mitochondrial encephalopathies characterized by respiratory complex I instability.

Mitochondrial ribosomal stress in lung diseases.

Mitochondria are involved in a variety of critical cellular functions, and their impairment drives cell injury. The mitochondrial ribosome (mitoribosome) is responsible for the protein synthesis of mitochondrial DNA-encoded genes. These proteins are involved in oxidative phosphorylation, respiration, and ATP production required in the cell. Mitoribosome components originate from both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Their dysfunction can be caused by impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis or mitoribosome misassembly, leading to a decline in mitochondrial translation. This decrease can trigger mitochondrial ribosomal stress and contribute to pulmonary cell injury, death, and diseases. This review focuses on the contribution of the impaired mitoribosome structural components and function to respiratory disease pathophysiology. We present recent findings in the fields of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, and asthma. We also include reports on the mitoribosome dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension, high-altitude pulmonary edema, and bacterial and viral infections. Studies of the mitoribosome alterations in respiratory diseases can lead to novel therapeutic targets.

Clinical Characteristics of Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-Like Episodes.

Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome, a maternally inherited mitochondrial disorder, is characterized by its genetic, biochemical and clinical complexity. The most common mutation associated with MELAS syndrome is the mtDNA A3243G mutation in the MT-TL1 gene encoding the mitochondrial tRNA-leu(UUR), which results in impaired mitochondrial translation and protein synthesis involving the mitochondrial electron transport chain complex subunits, leading to impaired mitochondrial energy production. Angiopathy, either alone or in combination with nitric oxide (NO) deficiency, further contributes to multi-organ involvement in MELAS syndrome. Management for MELAS syndrome is amostly symptomatic multidisciplinary approach. In this article, we review the clinical presentations, pathogenic mechanisms and options for management of MELAS syndrome.

Loss of COX4I1 Leads to Combined Respiratory Chain Deficiency and Impaired Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis.

The oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system localized in the inner mitochondrial membrane secures production of the majority of ATP in mammalian organisms. Individual OXPHOS complexes form supramolecular assemblies termed supercomplexes. The complexes are linked not only by their function but also by interdependency of individual complex biogenesis or maintenance. For instance, cytochrome c oxidase (cIV) or cytochrome bc1 complex (cIII) deficiencies affect the level of fully assembled NADH dehydrogenase (cI) in monomeric as well as supercomplex forms. It was hypothesized that cI is affected at the level of enzyme assembly as well as at the level of cI stability and maintenance. However, the true nature of interdependency between cI and cIV is not fully understood yet. We used a HEK293 cellular model where the COX4 subunit was completely knocked out, serving as an ideal system to study interdependency of cI and cIV, as early phases of cIV assembly process were disrupted. Total absence of cIV was accompanied by profound deficiency of cI, documented by decrease in the levels of cI subunits and significantly reduced amount of assembled cI. Supercomplexes assembled from cI, cIII, and cIV were missing in COX4I1 knock-out (KO) due to loss of cIV and decrease in cI amount. Pulse-chase metabolic labeling of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded proteins uncovered a decrease in the translation of cIV and cI subunits. Moreover, partial impairment of mitochondrial protein synthesis correlated with decreased content of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins. In addition, complexome profiling revealed accumulation of cI assembly intermediates, indicating that cI biogenesis, rather than stability, was affected. We propose that attenuation of mitochondrial protein synthesis caused by cIV deficiency represents one of the mechanisms, which may impair biogenesis of cI.

Oxidative phosphorylation-dependent regulation of cancer cell apoptosis in response to anticancer agents.

Cancer cells tend to develop resistance to various types of anticancer agents, whether they adopt similar or distinct mechanisms to evade cell death in response to a broad spectrum of cancer therapeutics is not fully defined. Current study concludes that DNA-damaging agents (etoposide and doxorubicin), ER stressor (thapsigargin), and histone deacetylase inhibitor (apicidin) target oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for apoptosis induction, whereas other anticancer agents including staurosporine, taxol, and sorafenib induce apoptosis in an OXPHOS-independent manner. DNA-damaging agents promoted mitochondrial biogenesis accompanied by increased accumulation of cellular and mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial protein-folding machinery, and mitochondrial unfolded protein response. Induction of mitochondrial biogenesis occurred in a caspase activation-independent mechanism but was reduced by autophagy inhibition and p53-deficiency. Abrogation of complex-I blocked DNA-damage-induced caspase activation and apoptosis, whereas inhibition of complex-II or a combined deficiency of OXPHOS complexes I, III, IV, and V due to impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis did not modulate caspase activity. Mechanistic analysis revealed that inhibition of caspase activation in response to anticancer agents associates with decreased release of mitochondrial cytochrome c in complex-I-deficient cells compared with wild type (WT) cells. Gross OXPHOS deficiencies promoted increased release of apoptosis-inducing factor from mitochondria compared with WT or complex-I-deficient cells, suggesting that cells harboring defective OXPHOS trigger caspase-dependent as well as caspase-independent apoptosis in response to anticancer agents. Interestingly, DNA-damaging agent doxorubicin showed strong binding to mitochondria, which was disrupted by complex-I-deficiency but not by complex-II-deficiency. Thapsigargin-induced caspase activation was reduced upon abrogation of complex-I or gross OXPHOS deficiency whereas a reverse trend was observed with apicidin. Together, these finding provide a new strategy for differential mitochondrial targeting in cancer therapy.

Elongator-dependent modification of cytoplasmic tRNALysUUU is required for mitochondrial function under stress conditions.

To gain a wider view of the pathways that regulate mitochondrial function, we combined the effect of heat stress on respiratory capacity with the discovery potential of a genome-wide screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We identified 105 new genes whose deletion impairs respiratory growth at 37°C by interfering with processes such as transcriptional regulation, ubiquitination and cytosolic tRNA wobble uridine modification via 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl-2-thiouridine formation. The latter process, specifically required for efficient decoding of AA-ending codons under stress conditions, was covered by multiple genes belonging to the Elongator (e.g. ELP3) and urmylation (e.g., NCS6) pathways. ELP3 or NCS6 deletants had impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis. Their respiratory deficiency was selectively rescued by overexpression of tRNALysUUU as well by overexpression of genes (BCK1 and HFM1) with a strong bias for the AAA codon read by this tRNA. These data extend the mitochondrial regulome, demonstrate that heat stress can impair respiration by disturbing cytoplasmic translation of proteins critically involved in mitochondrial function and document, for the first time, the involvement in such process of the Elongator and urmylation pathways. Given the conservation of these pathways, the present findings may pave the way to a better understanding of the human mitochondrial regulome in health and disease.

Impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer type worldwide, possibly due to the significant role of alcohol and tobacco use in its development. Underlying most cancers are defects in mitochondrial functions such as energy metabolism and apoptosis. In fact, the mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which encode proteins for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), have been associated with human head and neck cancers. Here, we investigated the changes in the expression of OXPHOS complexes and the contribution of the defects in mitochondrial translation in the progression of HNSCC. Western blot analyses of the several stage IVA HNSCC primary tumors have shown reduction in the expression of COII and ATP5A of the OXPHOS complexes IV and V subunits, respectively. On the other hand, expression of the majority of the OXPHOS subunits, except complex II SDHB subunit, was impaired in a patient with a stage IV tumor with a regional lymph node. Interestingly, an overall reduction in one of the mitochondrial-encoded subunits of the complex IV, COII, accentuated a possible defect in mitochondrial translation machinery in two of the stage IVA tumors. Evidence provided in this study suggests for the first time that the mitochondrial translation defect(s) could be due to a decrease in the expression of one of the essential mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, MRPL11, in head and neck tumor biopsies. We also observed an acquired mitochondrial translation deficiency in the HN8 cell line derived from a lymph node metastasis but not in the HN22 cells derived from the primary tumor of the same patient. These seminal observations suggest that the mitochondrial translation machinery deserves further investigation for accurate molecular assessment and treatment of HNSCC.

MELAS syndrome: Clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, and treatment options.

Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome is one of the most frequent maternally inherited mitochondrial disorders. MELAS syndrome is a multi-organ disease with broad manifestations including stroke-like episodes, dementia, epilepsy, lactic acidemia, myopathy, recurrent headaches, hearing impairment, diabetes, and short stature. The most common mutation associated with MELAS syndrome is the m.3243A>G mutation in the MT-TL1 gene encoding the mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)). The m.3243A>G mutation results in impaired mitochondrial translation and protein synthesis including the mitochondrial electron transport chain complex subunits leading to impaired mitochondrial energy production. The inability of dysfunctional mitochondria to generate sufficient energy to meet the needs of various organs results in the multi-organ dysfunction observed in MELAS syndrome. Energy deficiency can also stimulate mitochondrial proliferation in the smooth muscle and endothelial cells of small blood vessels leading to angiopathy and impaired blood perfusion in the microvasculature of several organs. These events will contribute to the complications observed in MELAS syndrome particularly the stroke-like episodes. In addition, nitric oxide deficiency occurs in MELAS syndrome and can contribute to its complications. There is no specific consensus approach for treating MELAS syndrome. Management is largely symptomatic and should involve a multidisciplinary team. Unblinded studies showed that l-arginine therapy improves stroke-like episode symptoms and decreases the frequency and severity of these episodes. Additionally, carnitine and coenzyme Q10 are commonly used in MELAS syndrome without proven efficacy.

Impaired Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) ranks among the sixth most common cancer types worldwide possibly due to the significant role of alcohol and tobacco use in the development of HNSCC. Interestingly, mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been found to be associated with human head and neck cancers. Here, we investigated the changes in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes and contribution of mitochondrial translation components in HNSCC. Immunoblotting analyses of human HNSCC tumors have shown that the expression of OXPHOS was impaired at the protein level. Specifically, an overall reduction in one of the mitochondrially encoded subunits of the OXPHOS complexes accentuated a possible defect in mitochondrial translation machinery. Evidence provided in this study suggests that the mitochondrial translation defect(s) could be due to a decrease in expression of one of the essential mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, MRPL11, in head and neck tumor biopsies. We also observed an acquired mitochondrial translation deficiency in the HN8 cell linederived from a lymph node metastasis but not in the HN22 cells derived from the primary tumor of the same patient. Our observations suggest that the mitochondrial translation machinery deserves further investigation for accurate molecular assessment and treatment of HNSCC.

Cdk5rap1-Mediated 2-Methylthio Modification of Mitochondrial tRNAs Governs Protein Translation and Contributes to Myopathy in Mice and Humans

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) contain a wide variety of posttranscriptional modifications that are important for accurate decoding. Mammalian mitochondrial tRNAs (mt-tRNAs) are modified by nuclear-encoded tRNA-modifying enzymes; however, the physiological roles of these modifications remain largely unknown. In this study, we report that Cdk5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 1 (Cdk5rap1) is responsible for 2-methylthio (ms(2)) modifications of mammalian mt-tRNAs for Ser(UCN), Phe, Tyr, and Trp codons. Deficiency in ms(2) modification markedly impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis, which resulted in respiratory defects in Cdk5rap1 knockout (KO) mice. The KO mice were highly susceptive to stress-induced mitochondrial remodeling and exhibited accelerated myopathy and cardiac dysfunction under stressed conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ms(2) modifications of mt-tRNAs were sensitive to oxidative stress and were reduced in patients with mitochondrial disease. These findings highlight the fundamental role of ms(2) modifications of mt-tRNAs in mitochondrial protein synthesis and their pathological consequences in mitochondrial disease.

Mutation in mitochondrial ribosomal protein S7 (MRPS7) causes congenital sensorineural deafness, progressive hepatic and renal failure and lactic acidemia.

Functional defects of the mitochondrial translation machinery, as a result of mutations in nuclear-encoded genes, have been associated with combined oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) deficiencies. We report siblings with congenital sensorineural deafness and lactic acidemia in association with combined respiratory chain (RC) deficiencies of complexes I, III and IV observed in fibroblasts and liver. One of the siblings had a more severe phenotype showing progressive hepatic and renal failure. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a homozygous mutation in the gene encoding mitochondrial ribosomal protein S7 (MRPS7), a c.550A>G transition that encodes a substitution of valine for a highly conserved methionine (p.Met184Val) in both affected siblings. MRPS7 is a 12S ribosomal RNA-binding subunit of the small mitochondrial ribosomal subunit, and is required for the assembly of the small ribosomal subunit. Pulse labeling of mitochondrial protein synthesis products revealed impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis in patient fibroblasts. Exogenous expression of wild-type MRPS7 in patient fibroblasts rescued complexes I and IV activities, demonstrating the deleterious effect of the mutation on RC function. Moreover, reduced 12S rRNA transcript levels observed in the patient's fibroblasts were also restored to normal levels by exogenous expression of wild-type MRPS7. Our data demonstrate the pathogenicity of the identified MRPS7 mutation as a novel cause of mitochondrial RC dysfunction, congenital sensorineural deafness and progressive hepatic and renal failure.

Mouse models of mitochondrial dysfunction

The compact size and organisation of the mammalian mitochondrial genome has necessitated the evolution of unique mechanisms to facilitate rapid changes in gene expression in response to the changing energy demands of the cell. The mitochondrial transcriptome encodes proteins that are subunits of the respiratory chain, responsible for most of the energy production required by the cell. Consequently the coordinated regulation of the mitochondrial transcriptome by the nucleus is of particular importance for the maintenance of cell health and energy metabolism. Next generation technologies have revealed new and unexpected complexity of transcripts encoded by the human mitochondrial genome. Despite the common origin of all mitochondrial RNAs from a few long transcripts, variation between individual mitochondrial transcripts underpins the importance of post-transcriptional regulation of mitochondrial gene expression. Over the last few years we have investigated the unusual features of mitochondrial RNAs and the RNA-binding proteins that control their production, maturation, translation and stabilisation to understand the regulation of mitochondrial gene expression and its contribution to health and disease. To investigate the importance of RNA-binding proteins in mitochondria globally we have established new methods for massively parallel sequencing and analyses of RNase-accessible regions of human mitochondrial RNA. These methods have enabled us to understand the regulation of mitochondrial gene expression in cell and animal models of disease. Impaired mitochondrial function can be the cause of, or contribute significantly to a range of human diseases including mitochondrial diseases, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore we have used mouse models of mitochondrial dysfunction to understand the molecular and physiological consequences of dysregulated mitochondrial gene expression. We have investigated the roles of several mitochondrial RNA-binding proteins in mice and identified tissue-specific defects that are a result of impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis.

Coronary heart disease is associated with a mutation in mitochondrial tRNA

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Mitochondrial genetic determinant for the development of CHD remains poorly explored. We report there the clinical, genetic, molecular and biochemical characterization of a four-generation Chinese family with maternally inherited CHD. Thirteen of 32 adult members in this family exhibited variable severity and age-at-onset of CHD. Mutational analysis of their mitochondrial genomes identified the tRNA(Thr) 15927G>A mutation belonging to the Eastern Asian haplogroup B5. The anticipated destabilization of a highly conserved base-pairing (28C-42G) by the 15927G>A mutation affects structure and function of tRNA(Thr). Northern analysis revealed ≈80% decrease in the steady-state level of tRNA(Thr) in the mutant cell lines carrying the 15927G>A mutation. The 15927G>A mutation changed the conformation of tRNA(Thr), as suggested by slower electrophoretic mobility of mutated tRNA with respect to the wild-type molecule. In addition, ∼39% reduction in aminoacylated efficiency of tRNA(Thr) was observed in mutant cells derived from this Chinese family. An in vivo mitochondrial protein labeling analysis showed ∼53% reduction in the rate of mitochondrial translation in mutant cells. The impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis leads to defects in overall respiratory capacity or malate/glutamate-promoted respiration or succinate/glycerol-3-phosphate-promoted respiration, or N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-pphenylenediamine/ascorbate-promoted respiration in mutant cells. An increasing production of reactive oxygen species was observed in the mutant cells carrying the 15927G>A mutation. These results provide the direct evidence that the tRNA(Thr) 15927G>A mutation is associated with CHD. Our findings may provide new insights into pathophysiology and intervention targets of this disorder.

P32/gC1qR is indispensable for fetal development and mitochondrial translation: importance of its RNA-binding ability

p32 is an evolutionarily conserved and ubiquitously expressed multifunctional protein. Although p32 exists at diverse intra and extracellular sites, it is predominantly localized to the mitochondrial matrix near the nucleoid associated with mitochondrial transcription factor A. Nonetheless, its function in the matrix is poorly understood. Here, we determined p32 function via generation of p32-knockout mice. p32-deficient mice exhibited mid-gestation lethality associated with a severe developmental defect of the embryo. Primary embryonic fibroblasts isolated from p32-knockout embryos showed severe dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, because of severely impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis. Recombinant p32 binds RNA, not DNA, and endogenous p32 interacts with all mitochondrial messenger RNA species in vivo. The RNA-binding ability of p32 is well correlated with the mitochondrial translation. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed the close association of p32 with the mitoribosome. We propose that p32 is required for functional mitoribosome formation to synthesize proteins within mitochondria.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Impairs Tumor Suppressor p53 Expression/Function

Recently, mitochondria have been suggested to act in tumor suppression. However, the underlying mechanisms by which mitochondria suppress tumorigenesis are far from being clear. In this study, we have investigated the link between mitochondrial dysfunction and the tumor suppressor protein p53 using a set of respiration-deficient (Res(-)) mammalian cell mutants with impaired assembly of the oxidative phosphorylation machinery. Our data suggest that normal mitochondrial function is required for γ-irradiation (γIR)-induced cell death, which is mainly a p53-dependent process. The Res(-) cells are protected against γIR-induced cell death due to impaired p53 expression/function. We find that the loss of complex I biogenesis in the absence of the MWFE subunit reduces the steady-state level of the p53 protein, although there is no effect on the p53 protein level in the absence of the ESSS subunit that is also essential for complex I assembly. The p53 protein level was also reduced to undetectable levels in Res(-) cells with severely impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis. This suggests that p53 protein expression is differentially regulated depending upon the type of electron transport chain/respiratory chain deficiency. Moreover, irrespective of the differences in the p53 protein expression profile, γIR-induced p53 activity is compromised in all Res(-) cells. Using two different conditional systems for complex I assembly, we also show that the effect of mitochondrial dysfunction on p53 expression/function is a reversible phenomenon. We believe that these findings will have major implications in the understanding of cancer development and therapy.

Chronic ethanol feeding causes depression of mitochondrial elongation factor Tu in the rat liver: implications for the mitochondrial ribosome

Chronic ethanol feeding is known to negatively impact hepatic energy metabolism. Previous studies have indicated that the underlying lesion responsible for this may lie at the level of the mitoribosome. The aim of this study was to characterize the structure of the hepatic mitoribosome in alcoholic male rats and their isocalorically paired controls. Our experiments revealed that chronic ethanol feeding resulted in a significant depletion of both structural (death-associated protein 3) and functional [elongation factor thermo unstable (EF-Tu)] mitoribosomal proteins. In addition, significant increases were found in nucleotide elongation factor thermo stable (EF-Ts) and structural mitochondrial ribosomal protein L12 (MRPL12). The increase in MRPL12 was found to correlate with an increase in the levels of the 39S large mitoribosomal subunit. These changes were accompanied by decreased levels of nuclear- and mitochondrially encoded respiratory subunits, decreased amounts of intact respiratory complexes, decreased hepatic ATP levels, and depressed mitochondrial translation. Mathematical modeling of ethanol-mediated changes in EF-Tu and EF-Ts using prederived kinetic data predicted that the ethanol-mediated decrease in EF-Tu levels could completely account for the impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis. In conclusion, chronic ethanol feeding results in a depletion of mitochondrial EF-Tu levels within the liver that is mathematically predicted to be responsible for the impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis seen in alcoholic animals.

Introduction: Euromit VII – summarizing 50 years of research on mitochondrial disease

Introduction: Euromit VII – summarizing 50 years of research on mitochondrial disease

Role of SUV3 Helicase in Maintaining Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Human Cells

In yeast mitochondria, RNA degradation takes place through the coordinated activities of ySuv3 helicase and yDss1 exoribonuclease (mtEXO), whereas in bacteria, RNA is degraded via RNaseE, RhlB, PNPase, and enolase. Yeast lacking the Suv3 component of the mtEXO form petits and undergo a toxic accumulation of omega intron RNAs. Mammalian mitochondria resemble their prokaryotic origins by harboring a polyadenylation-dependent RNA degradation mechanism, but whether SUV3 participates in regulating RNA turnover in mammalian mitochondria is unclear. We found that lack of hSUV3 in mammalian cells subsequently yielded an accumulation of shortened polyadenylated mtRNA species and impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis. This suggests that SUV3 may serve in part as a component of an RNA degradosome, resembling its yeast ancestor. Reduction in the expression levels of oxidative phosphorylation components correlated with an increase in reactive oxygen species generation, whereas membrane potential and ATP production were decreased. These cumulative defects led to pleiotropic effects in mitochondria such as decreased mtDNA copy number and a shift in mitochondrial morphology from tubular to granular, which eventually manifests in cellular senescence or cell death. Thus, our results suggest that SUV3 is essential for maintaining proper mitochondrial function, likely through a conserved role in mitochondrial RNA regulation.

Mitochondria-specific RNA-modifying Enzymes Responsible for the Biosynthesis of the Wobble Base in Mitochondrial tRNAs: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF HUMAN MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASES

Human mitochondrial (mt) tRNA(Lys) has a taurine-containing modified uridine, 5-taurinomethyl-2-thiouridine (taum5s2U), at its anticodon wobble position. We previously found that the mt tRNA(Lys), carrying the A8344G mutation from cells of patients with myoclonus epilepsy associated with ragged-red fibers (MERRF), lacks the taum5s2U modification. Here we describe the identification and characterization of a tRNA-modifying enzyme MTU1 (mitochondrial tRNA-specific 2-thiouridylase 1) that is responsible for the 2-thiolation of the wobble position in human and yeast mt tRNAs. Disruption of the yeast MTU1 gene eliminated the 2-thio modification of mt tRNAs and impaired mitochondrial protein synthesis, which led to reduced respiratory activity. Furthermore, when MTO1 or MSS1, which are responsible for the C5 substituent of the modified uridine, was disrupted along with MTU1, a much more severe reduction in mitochondrial activity was observed. Thus, the C5 and 2-thio modifications act synergistically in promoting efficient cognate codon decoding. Partial inactivation of MTU1 in HeLa cells by small interference RNA also reduced their oxygen consumption and resulted in mitochondria with defective membrane potentials, which are similar phenotypic features observed in MERRF.