Project description:Mitochondrial gene expression uses a non-universal genetic code in mammals. Besides reading the conventional AUG codon, mitochondrial (mt-)tRNAMet mediates incorporation of methionine on AUA and AUU codons during translation initiation and on AUA codons during elongation. We show that the RNA methyltransferase NSUN3 localises to mitochondria and interacts with mt-tRNAMet to methylate cytosine 34 (C34) at the wobble position. NSUN3 specifically recognises the anticodon stem loop (ASL) of the tRNA, explaining why a mutation that compromises ASL basepairing leads to disease. We further identify ALKBH1/ABH1 as the dioxygenase responsible for oxidising m5C34 of mt-tRNAMet to generate an f5C34 modification. In vitro codon recognition studies with mitochondrial translation factors reveal preferential utilization of m5C34 mt-tRNAMet in initiation. Depletion of either NSUN3 or ABH1 strongly affects mitochondrial translation in human cells, implying that modifications generated by both enzymes are necessary for mt-tRNAMet function. Together, our data reveal how modifications in mt-tRNAMet are generated by the sequential action of NSUN3 and ABH1, allowing the single mitochondrial tRNAMet to recognise the different codons encoding methionine. HEK293 cell lines expressing His-FLAG-tagged NSUN3 or the His-FLAG tag alone were crosslinked using UV or treated with 5-azacytidine and analysed by CRAC
Project description:Mitochondrial gene expression uses a non-universal genetic code in mammals. Besides reading the conventional AUG codon, mitochondrial (mt-)tRNAMet mediates incorporation of methionine on AUA and AUU codons during translation initiation and on AUA codons during elongation. We show that the RNA methyltransferase NSUN3 localises to mitochondria and interacts with mt-tRNAMet to methylate cytosine 34 (C34) at the wobble position. NSUN3 specifically recognises the anticodon stem loop (ASL) of the tRNA, explaining why a mutation that compromises ASL basepairing leads to disease. We further identify ALKBH1/ABH1 as the dioxygenase responsible for oxidising m5C34 of mt-tRNAMet to generate an f5C34 modification. In vitro codon recognition studies with mitochondrial translation factors reveal preferential utilization of m5C34 mt-tRNAMet in initiation. Depletion of either NSUN3 or ABH1 strongly affects mitochondrial translation in human cells, implying that modifications generated by both enzymes are necessary for mt-tRNAMet function. Together, our data reveal how modifications in mt-tRNAMet are generated by the sequential action of NSUN3 and ABH1, allowing the single mitochondrial tRNAMet to recognise the different codons encoding methionine.
Project description:5-Formylcytidine (f5C) is one type of post-transcriptional RNA modifi-cations, which is known at the wobble position of tRNA in mitochon-dria and essential for mitochondrial protein synthesis. Here, we show a method to detect f5C modifications in RNA and a transcriptome-wide f5C mapping technique, named f5C-seq. It is developed based on the treatment of pyridine borane, which can reduce f5C to 5,6-dihydrouracil (DHU), thus inducing C-to-T transition in f5C sites during PCR to achieve single-base resolution detection. Thousands of f5C sites were identified after mapping in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by f5C-seq. Moreover, codon composition demonstrated a preference for f5C within wobble sites in mRNA, suggesting the potential role in regulation of translation. These findings expand the scope of the understanding of cytosine modifications in mRNA. Reference build: S288C_reference_genome_R64-2-1_20150113
Project description:The mammalian mitochondrial protein synthesis system produces thirteen essential subunits of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes. Translation initiation in mammalian mitochondria is characterized by the use of leaderless mRNAs and non-AUG start codons, where the proofreading function of IF-3mt still remains elusive. Here, we developed a reconstituted mammalian mitochondrial translation system using in vitro transcribed and native mitochondrial tRNAs to investigate IF-3mt’s proofreading function. Similar to bacterial IF-3, IF-3mt permits initiator tRNA to participate in initiation by discriminating the three G-C pairs in its anticodon stem, and the cognate interaction of its anticodon with the AUG start codon. As a result, IF-3mt promotes the accurate initiation of leaderless mRNAs. Nevertheless, IF-3mt can also facilitate initiation from the non-AUG(AUA) start codon through its unique N- and C-terminal extensions in concert with the 5-methylcytidine (m5C) or 5-formylcytidine (f5C) modification at the anticodon wobble position of mt-tRNAMet. This is partly because the IF-3mt-specific N- and C-terminal extensions and the KKGK-motif favor leaderless mRNA initiation and relax non-AUG start codon discrimination. Analyses of IF-3mt-depleted cells revealed that, in human cells, IF-3mt indeed participates in translating the ORFs of leaderless mRNAs, as well as the internal ORFs of bicistronic mRNAs.
Project description:Somatic variation contributes to biological heterogeneity by modulating the cellular proclivity to differentiate, expand, adapt, or die. While large-scale sequencing efforts have revealed the foundational role of somatic variants to drive human tumor evolution, our understanding of the contribution of somatic variation to modulate cellular fitness in non-malignant contexts remains understudied. Here, we identify a somatic synonymous variant (m.7076A>G) in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encoded cytochrome c-oxidase subunit 1 gene (COX1), which was present at homoplasmy in 47% of immune cells from a healthy donor. Using single-cell multi-omics, we discover highly specific selection against the m.7076G mutant allele in the CD8+ effector memory T cell compartment in vivo, reminiscent of selection observed for pathogenic mtDNA alleles and indicative of lineage-specific metabolic vulnerabilities. Due to the limited transfer RNA (tRNA) pool in mitochondria, the m.7076G mutant allele requires wobble-dependent translation whereas the wildtype m.7076A allele can translate via Watson-Crick-Franklin (WCF) base-pairing. Mitochondrial ribosome profiling revealed that the synonymous m.7076G mutant allele altered codon-anticodon affinity by 33% at the wobble position, stalling translation at the glycine residue within COX1 encoded at m.7076. Leveraging population-based sequencing analyses, we identify evidence of synonymous somatic variants in tumor genomes and dozens of germline variants associated with complex diseases, suggesting broad functional effects of synonymous variation altering codon affinity across the mitochondrial genome. Together, these results provide a new ontogeny for mitochondrial genetic variation and elucidate a framework whereby somatic variation can impact cell state transitions in a lineage-specific manner.
Project description:Somatic variation contributes to biological heterogeneity by modulating the cellular proclivity to differentiate, expand, adapt, or die. While large-scale sequencing efforts have revealed the foundational role of somatic variants to drive human tumor evolution, our understanding of the contribution of somatic variation to modulate cellular fitness in non-malignant contexts remains understudied. Here, we identify a somatic synonymous variant (m.7076A>G) in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encoded cytochrome c-oxidase subunit 1 gene (COX1), which was present at homoplasmy in 47% of immune cells from a healthy donor. Using single-cell multi-omics, we discover highly specific selection against the m.7076G mutant allele in the CD8+ effector memory T cell compartment in vivo, reminiscent of selection observed for pathogenic mtDNA alleles and indicative of lineage-specific metabolic vulnerabilities. Due to the limited transfer RNA (tRNA) pool in mitochondria, the m.7076G mutant allele requires wobble-dependent translation whereas the wildtype m.7076A allele can translate via Watson-Crick-Franklin (WCF) base-pairing. Mitochondrial ribosome profiling revealed that the synonymous m.7076G mutant allele altered codon-anticodon affinity by 33% at the wobble position, stalling translation at the glycine residue within COX1 encoded at m.7076. Leveraging population-based sequencing analyses, we identify evidence of synonymous somatic variants in tumor genomes and dozens of germline variants associated with complex diseases, suggesting broad functional effects of synonymous variation altering codon affinity across the mitochondrial genome. Together, these results provide a new ontogeny for mitochondrial genetic variation and elucidate a framework whereby somatic variation can impact cell state transitions in a lineage-specific manner.
Project description:Somatic variation contributes to biological heterogeneity by modulating the cellular proclivity to differentiate, expand, adapt, or die. While large-scale sequencing efforts have revealed the foundational role of somatic variants to drive human tumor evolution, our understanding of the contribution of somatic variation to modulate cellular fitness in non-malignant contexts remains understudied. Here, we identify a somatic synonymous variant (m.7076A>G) in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encoded cytochrome c-oxidase subunit 1 gene (COX1), which was present at homoplasmy in 47% of immune cells from a healthy donor. Using single-cell multi-omics, we discover highly specific selection against the m.7076G mutant allele in the CD8+ effector memory T cell compartment in vivo, reminiscent of selection observed for pathogenic mtDNA alleles and indicative of lineage-specific metabolic vulnerabilities. Due to the limited transfer RNA (tRNA) pool in mitochondria, the m.7076G mutant allele requires wobble-dependent translation whereas the wildtype m.7076A allele can translate via Watson-Crick-Franklin (WCF) base-pairing. Mitochondrial ribosome profiling revealed that the synonymous m.7076G mutant allele altered codon-anticodon affinity by 33% at the wobble position, stalling translation at the glycine residue within COX1 encoded at m.7076. Leveraging population-based sequencing analyses, we identify evidence of synonymous somatic variants in tumor genomes and dozens of germline variants associated with complex diseases, suggesting broad functional effects of synonymous variation altering codon affinity across the mitochondrial genome. Together, these results provide a new ontogeny for mitochondrial genetic variation and elucidate a framework whereby somatic variation can impact cell state transitions in a lineage-specific manner.
Project description:Somatic variation contributes to biological heterogeneity by modulating the cellular proclivity to differentiate, expand, adapt, or die. While large-scale sequencing efforts have revealed the foundational role of somatic variants to drive human tumor evolution, our understanding of the contribution of somatic variation to modulate cellular fitness in non-malignant contexts remains understudied. Here, we identify a somatic synonymous variant (m.7076A>G) in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encoded cytochrome c-oxidase subunit 1 gene (COX1), which was present at homoplasmy in 47% of immune cells from a healthy donor. Using single-cell multi-omics, we discover highly specific selection against the m.7076G mutant allele in the CD8+ effector memory T cell compartment in vivo, reminiscent of selection observed for pathogenic mtDNA alleles and indicative of lineage-specific metabolic vulnerabilities. Due to the limited transfer RNA (tRNA) pool in mitochondria, the m.7076G mutant allele requires wobble-dependent translation whereas the wildtype m.7076A allele can translate via Watson-Crick-Franklin (WCF) base-pairing. Mitochondrial ribosome profiling revealed that the synonymous m.7076G mutant allele altered codon-anticodon affinity by 33% at the wobble position, stalling translation at the glycine residue within COX1 encoded at m.7076. Leveraging population-based sequencing analyses, we identify evidence of synonymous somatic variants in tumor genomes and dozens of germline variants associated with complex diseases, suggesting broad functional effects of synonymous variation altering codon affinity across the mitochondrial genome. Together, these results provide a new ontogeny for mitochondrial genetic variation and elucidate a framework whereby somatic variation can impact cell state transitions in a lineage-specific manner.
Project description:Mitochondria contain a specific translation machinery for the synthesis of respiratory chain components encoded on the mitochondrial genome. Mitochondrial tRNAs (mt-tRNAs) are also generated from the mitochondrial genome and, similar to their cytoplasmic counterparts, are modified at various positions. Here, we find that the RNA methyltransferase METTL8, is a mitochondrial protein that facilitates m3C methylation at position C32 of mt-tRNASer(UCN) and mt-tRNAThr. METTL8 knock out cells show reduced and over expressing cells enhanced respiratory chain activity. In pancreatic cancer, METTL8 levels are high, which correlates with patient survival. Indeed, METTL8 up regulation stimulates respiratory chain activity in these cells. Ribosome occupancy analysis using ribosome profiling revealed ribosome stalling on mt-tRNASer(UCN) and mt-tRNAThr codons and mass spectrometry analysis of native ribosomal subcomplexes unraveled reduced respiratory chain incorporation of the mitochondria encoded proteins ND6 and ND1. A well-balanced translation of mt-tRNASer(UCN) and mt-tRNAThr codons through METTL8-mediated C32 methylation might therefore provide optimal respiratory chain compositions and function.
Project description:Cells respond to environmental stress by regulating gene expression at the level of both transcription and translation. The ~50 modified ribonucleotides of the human epitranscriptome contribute to the latter, with mounting evidence that dynamic regulation of tRNA wobble modifications leads to selective translation of stress response proteins from codon-biased genes. Here we show that the response of human HepG2 cells to arsenite exposure is regulated by the availability of queuine, a micronutrient and essential precursor to the wobble modification queuosine (Q) on tRNAs reading GUN codons. Among oxidizing and alkylating agents at equitoxic concentrations, arsenite exposure caused an oxidant-specific increase in Q that correlated with up-regulation of proteins from codon-biased genes involved in energy metabolism. Limiting queuine increased arsenite-induced cell death, altered translation, increased reactive oxygen species levels, and caused mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition to revealing a new epitranscriptomic facet of arsenite toxicity and response, our results highlight the mechanistic links between environmental exposures, stress tolerance, and micronutrients.