Volume 23, No 6, Jun 2013
ISSN: 1001-0602
EISSN: 1748-7838 2018
impact factor 17.848*
(Clarivate Analytics, 2019)
Volume 23 Issue 6, June 2013: 759-774
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
The mitochondrial genome encodes abundant small noncoding RNAs
Seungil Ro1, Hsiu-Yen Ma1,2, Chanjae Park1, Nicole Ortogero1, Rui Song1,5, Grant W Hennig1, Huili Zheng1, Yung-Ming Lin2, Loredana Moro3, Jer-Tsong Hsieh4 and Wei Yan1
1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
2Department of Urology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138 Sheng Li Road, Tainan 70403, China
3Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, National Research Council (CNR), Bari 70123, Italy
4Department of Urology, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
5Current address: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 142 Life Sciences Addition # 3200, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
Correspondence: Wei Yan, Tel: +1-775-784-7765 (Office), +1-775-784-4688 (Lab); Fax: +1-775-784-6903(wyan@unr.edu)
Small noncoding RNAs identified thus far are all encoded by the nuclear genome. Here, we report that the murine and human mitochondrial genomes encode thousands of small noncoding RNAs, which are predominantly derived from the sense transcripts of the mitochondrial genes (host genes), and we termed these small RNAs mitochondrial genome-encoded small RNAs (mitosRNAs). DICER inactivation affected, but did not completely abolish mitosRNA production. MitosRNAs appear to be products of currently unidentified mitochondrial ribonucleases. Overexpression of mitosRNAs enhanced expression levels of their host genes in vitro, and dysregulated mitosRNA expression was generally associated with aberrant mitochondrial gene expression in vivo. Our data demonstrate that in addition to 37 known mitochondrial genes, the mammalian mitochondrial genome also encodes abundant mitosRNAs, which may play an important regulatory role in the control of mitochondrial gene expression in the cell.
10.1038/cr.2013.37
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