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Implication of G-quadruplexes in mitochondrial gene expression and genome replication

ABSTRACT: Single-stranded DNA or RNA sequences rich in guanine (G) can adopt non-canonical structures known as G-quadruplexes (G4). G4 in the mitochondrial genome are heavy-strand enriched and have been associated with the formation of deletion breakpoints that cause mitochondrial diseases. However, the functional role of G4 structures in mitochondria remains unclear. Here, we have identified RHPS4 as a G4-specific ligand that localizes to mitochondria and causes replication pausing, with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion occurring at higher dosage. We further show that RHPS4 interferes with mitochondrial transcript elongation at low doses, leading to respiratory complex depletion. These unprecedented observations suggest that G4 motifs modulate mitochondrial transcription and replication efficiency. Using the differential effects of high vs low RHPS4 dosing, we characterized gene expression pathway responses to mitochondrial transcription inhibition or mitochondrial genome depletion. Importantly, a human mtDNA mutation that increases G4 formation potential strongly enhanced the RHPS4-mediated mitochondrial respiratory defect. We propose that abnormal G4 dynamics may contribute to mtDNA instability and gene expression defects, particularly in the presence of mitochondrial mutations that enhance the G4 formation.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE103116 | GEO | 2019/04/30

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The goal of this analysis was to utilize microarray profiling to identify basal alterations in gene expression in response to TFAM depletion and mtDNA stress. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is normally present at thousands of copies per cell and is packaged into several hundred higher-order structures termed nucleoids. The abundant mtDNA-binding protein, TFAM (transcription factor A,mitochondrial), regulates nucleoid architecture, abundance and segregation. Complete mtDNA depletion profoundly impairs oxidative phosphorylation, triggering calcium-dependent stress signalling and adaptive metabolic responses. However, the cellular responses to mtDNA instability, a physiologically relevant stress observed in many human diseases and ageing, remain poorly defined. Here we show that moderate mtDNA stress elicited by TFAM deficiency engages cytosolic antiviral signalling to enhance the expression of a subset of interferon-stimulated genes. Mechanistically, we find that aberrant mtDNA packaging promotes escape of mtDNA into the cytosol, where it engages the DNA sensor cGAS (also known as MB21D1) and promotes STING (also known as TMEM173)–IRF3-dependent signalling to elevate interferon-stimulated gene expression, potentiate type I interferon responses and confer broad viral resistance. Furthermore, we demonstrate that herpesviruses induce mtDNA stress, which enhances antiviral signalling and type I interferon responses during infection. Our results further demonstrate that mitochondria are central participants in innate immunity, identify mtDNA stress as a cell-intrinsic trigger of antiviral signaling and suggest that cellular monitoring of mtDNA homeostasis cooperates with canonical virus sensing mechanisms to fully engage antiviral innate immunity. Murine embryonic fibroblasts were isolated from wild-type or Tfam+/- E13.5 littermate embryos. RNA from passage-matched wild-type and Tfam+/- MEF lines was extracted in duplicate and hybridized onto Affymetrix microarrays. Four arrays were performed in total with two technical replicates per genotype.

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Implication of G-quadruplexes in mitochondrial gene expression and genome replication

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