Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Professor Zofia Chrzanowska-LightowlersORCiD, Professor Robert Lightowlers
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are an important cause of human disease for which there is no efficient treatment. Our aim was to determine whether the A8344G mitochondrial tRNALys mutation, which can cause the MERRF (myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers) syndrome, could be complemented by targeting tRNAs into mitochondria from the cytosol. Import of small RNAs into mitochondria has been demonstrated in many organisms, including protozoans, plants, fungi and animals. Although human mitochondria do not import tRNAs in vivo, we previously demonstrated that some yeast tRNA derivatives can be imported into isolated human mitochondria. We show here that yeast tRNALys derivatives expressed in immortalized human cells and in primary human fibroblasts are partially imported into mitochondria. Imported tRNAs are correctly aminoacylated and are able to participate in mitochondrial translation. In transmitochondrial cybrid cells and in patient-derived fibroblasts bearing the MERRF mutation, import of tRNALys is accompanied by a partial rescue of mitochondrial functions affected by the mutation such as mitochondrial translation, activity of respiratory complexes, electrochemical potential across the mitochondrial membrane and respiration rate. Import of a tRNALys with a mutation in the anticodon preventing recognition of the lysine codons does not lead to any rescue, whereas downregulation of the transgenic tRNAs by small interfering RNA (siRNA) transiently abolishes the functional rescue, showing that this rescue is due to the import. These findings prove for the first time the functionality of imported tRNAs in human mitochondria in vivo and highlight the potential for exploiting the RNA import pathway to treat patients with mtDNA diseases. © Oxford University Press 2004; all rights reserved.
Author(s): Kolesnikova OA, Entelis NS, Jacquin-Becker C, Goltzene F, Chrzanowska-Lightowlers ZM, Lightowlers RN, Martin RP, Tarassov I
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Human Molecular Genetics
Year: 2004
Volume: 13
Issue: 20
Pages: 2519-2534
ISSN (print): 0964-6906
ISSN (electronic): 1460-2083
Publisher: Oxford University Press
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddh267
DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddh267
PubMed id: 15317755
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
