Project description:We performed a RNA immunoprecipitations experiments using gfp-specific antibodies to precipitate gfp-tagged La proteins from from gfp-La wild type and sumoylation deficient La mutant (K41/200R) cells and found that specific mRNAs are preferentially enriched gfp-La wild type RIPs when compared to sumoylation deficient La mutant (K41/200R) RIPs.
Project description:Aim: To determine whether mtDNA deletions arise upon the loss of mitochondria fusion in heart tissue Method: DNA was isolated heart mitochondria from control and heart-specific double mitofusin1-2 (dMfn) KO animals and used to generate libraries for sequencing to detect mtDNA deletions. Total genomic DNA from the Deletor mouse was provided by Anu Suomalainen-Wartiovaara and used as a positive control for the detection of mtDNA rearrangements. A standard Illumina TrueSeq paired-end library was prepared with ~500 base pair fragment inserts. Paired-end 100 base pair sequencing was conducted using an Illumina HiSeq 2500. The reads were mapped to the genomic sequence without the mitochondria using bowtie (VN: 2.1.0) to remove nuclear-genomic sequences. The unmapped reads were then mapped to the mitochondrial sequence (GenBank JF286601.1) using bwa (n=0.04, VN: 0.6.2-r126) with unmapped reads undergoing an additional mapping round after trimming fastx_trimmer, VN: 0.0.13.2) to ensure higher mapping results. Using samtools (VN: 1.0: samtools –f1 –F14) reads, where the two paired sequences were observed to be greater than 600 base pair apart were identified as those containing deletion breakpoints. These reads were extracted for additional analysis. Results: Control and dMfn KO samples showed similar frequencys of breakpoints, while the positive control (Deletor mouse) showed a high frequecny of large breakpoints.
Project description:Somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations contribute to the pathogenesis of age-related disorders, including myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The accumulation of mitochondria harboring mtDNA mutations in patients with these disorders suggests a failure of normal mitochondrial quality-control systems. The mtDNA-mutator mice acquire somatic mtDNA mutations via a targeted defect in the proofreading function of the mtDNA polymerase, PolgA, and develop macrocyticanemia similar to that of patients with MDS. We observed an unexpected defect in clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria at specific stages during erythroid maturation in hematopoietic cells from aged mtDNA-mutator mice. Mechanistically, aberrant activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling and phosphorylation of uncoordinated 51-like kinase (ULK) 1 in mtDNA-mutator mice resulted in proteasome mediated degradation of ULK1 and inhibition of autophagy in erythroid cells. To directly evaluate the consequence of inhibiting autophagy on mitochondrial function in erythroid cells harboring mtDNA mutations in vivo, we deleted Atg7 from erythroid progenitors of wildtype and mtDNA-mutator mice. Genetic disruption of autophagy did not cause anemia in wild-type mice but accelerated the decline in mitochondrial respiration and development of macrocytic anemia in mtDNA-mutator mice. These findings highlight a pathological feedback loop that explains how dysfunctional mitochondria can escape autophagy-mediated degradation and propagate in cells predisposed to somatic mtDNA mutations, leading to disease. We used microarrays to identify expression profiles and pathways that are differentially activated or suppressed in Ter119+ bone marrow cells isolated from phlebotomized wildtype or Polg mutant mice
Project description:We report mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) sequences in purified mouse muscle stem cells at different ages. This study identifies changes in the mitochondrial genome of muscle stem cells during aging.