Project description:The synthesis of mitochondrial OXPHOS complexes is central to cellular metabolism, yet many molecular details of mitochondrial translation remain elusive. It is commonly held view that translation initiation in human mitochondria proceeded in a manner similar to bacterial systems, with the mitoribosomal small subunit bound to the initiation factors, mtIF2 and mtIF3, along with initiator tRNA and an mRNA. However, unlike in bacteria, most human mitochondrial mRNAs lack 5′ leader sequences that can mediate small subunit binding, raising the question of how leaderless mRNAs are recognized by mitoribosomes. By using novel in vitro mitochondrial translation initiation assays, alongside biochemical and genetic characterization of cellular knockouts of mitochondrial translation factors, we describe unique features of translation initiation in human mitochondria. We show that in vitro, leaderless mRNA transcripts can be loaded directly onto assembled 55S mitoribosomes, but not onto the mitoribosomal small subunit (28S). In addition, we demonstrate that while mtIF2 is indispensable for mitochondrial translation, mtIF3 activity is not required for translation of leaderless mitochondrial transcripts but is essential for translation of ATP6 in the case of the bicistronic ATP8/ATP6 transcript. Our results confirm important evolutionary divergences of the mitochondrial translation system, and further our understanding of a process central to eukaryotic metabolism.
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:Mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes are unique molecular machines that translate 11 leaderless mRNAs. To date it is not clear how mitoribosomes recognize and initiate translation in the absence of untranslated regions in the mitochondrial mRNAs. Translation initiation in mitochondria shares similarities with prokaryotic systems, such as the formation of a ternary complex of fMet-tRNAMet, mRNA and the 28S subunit, but differs in the requirements for initiation factors. Mitochondria have two initiation factors, MTIF2 that closes the decoding centre and stabilizes the binding of the fMet-tRNAMet to the leaderless mRNAs, and MTIF3 whose role is not clear. We knocked out Mtif3 in mice and show that this protein is essential for embryo development and heart- and skeletal muscle-specific loss of MTIF3 causes premature death. We identify increased but uncoordinated mitochondrial protein synthesis in mice lacking MTIF3 that results in loss of specific respiratory complexes. Therefore, we show that coordinated assembly of OXPHOS complexes requires stoichiometric levels of nuclear and mitochondrially-encoded protein subunits in vivo. Our ribosome profiling and transcriptomic analyses show that MTIF3 is required for recognition and regulation of translation initiation of mitochondrial mRNAs, but not dissociation of the ribosome subunits.
Project description:The production of mitochondrial OXPHOS complexes is central to cellular metabolism, although the molecular details of mitochondrial translation remain enigmatic. It is widely held that translation initiation in human mitochondria proceeds similarly to bacterial systems, with mRNA binding the mitoribosomal small subunit in the presence of initiation factors, mtIF2and mtIF3, and initiator tRNA. However, unlike in bacteria, most human mitochondrial mRNAs do not possess 5′ leader sequences that mediate binding to the small subunit. Thus, how leaderless mRNAs are recognized by the mitoribosome is not known. By developing a single-molecule, fluorescence-based in vitro translation initiation assay, alongside the biochemical and genetic characterization of cellular knockouts of mitochondrial translation factors, we describe a mechanism for non-canonical translation initiation in human mitochondria. We show leaderless mt-mRNAs can be loaded onto 55S monosomes and translated independently of mtIF3 activity. However, in the case of the bicistronic ATP8/ATP6 transcript, translation of the downstream open reading frame (ORF) is dependent upon mtIF3 and is uncoupled from the upstream leaderless ORF, highlighting distinct role for the human initiation factor. Furthermore, we found mtIF2 to be essential for mitochondrial protein synthesis, but not monosome formation, while mitoribosome recycling was important for mitoribosome homeostasis. These data define an important evolutionary diversion of mitochondrial translation system, and further our fundamental understanding of a process central to eukaryotic metabolism.
Project description:Here, we reveal that mitochondrial tRNA methylation is essential for efficient mitochondrial translation to dynamically shape cancer metabolism required for metastasis. Using oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC, SCC25 from ATCCR CRL-168TM and patient-derived cell lines with the names VDH01, VDH15) as a model system, we reveal the metabolic requirements of the metastasis-initiating tumour cell population. Only non-dividing tumour cells with high mitochondrial translation rates can invade and disseminate from primary tumours. Thus, inhibition of mitochondrial translation either through deletion of NSUN3 or through pharmacological inhibitors both block metastasis in orthotopic transplantation assays. Together, our study demonstrates that mitochondrial translation controls the metabolic reprogramming required for invasion and dissemination from the primary tumour.
Project description:eIF3 is a multi-subunit complex thought to execute numerous functions in canonical translation initiation, including mRNA recruitment to the 40S ribosome, scanning for the start codon, and inhibition of 60S subunit joining 1–3. eIF3 was also found to interact with 40S and 60S ribosomal proteins and translation elongation factors 4, but a direct involvement in translation elongation has never been demonstrated. Using selective ribosome profiling, we made the unexpected observation that eIF3 remains bound to post-initiation 80S ribosomes, followed by release after translation of ~50 codons. Furthermore, eIF3 deficiency reduces early ribosomal elongation speed, particularly on mRNAs encoding proteins associated with membrane-associated functions, resulting in defective synthesis of their encoded proteins and abnormal mitochondrial and lysosomal physiology. Accordingly, heterozygous eIF3e+/- knockout mice accumulate giant mitochondria in skeletal muscle and show a progressive decline in muscle strength with age. Hence, in addition to its canonical role in translation initiation, eIF3 interacts with 80S ribosomes to enhance, at the level of early elongation, the synthesis of proteins with membrane-associated functions, an activity that is critical for normal muscle health.
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:Mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes are unique molecular machines that translate 11 leaderless mRNAs. To date it is not clear how mitoribosomes recognize and initiate translation in the absence of untranslated regions in the mitochondrial mRNAs. Translation initiation in mitochondria shares similarities with prokaryotic systems, such as the formation of a ternary complex of fMet-tRNAMet, mRNA and the 28S subunit, but differs in the requirements for initiation factors. Mitochondria have two initiation factors, MTIF2 that closes the decoding centre and stabilizes the binding of the fMet-tRNAMet to the leaderless mRNAs, and MTIF3 whose role is not clear. We knocked out Mtif3 in mice and show that this protein is essential for embryo development and heart- and skeletal muscle-specific loss of MTIF3 causes premature death. We identify increased but uncoordinated mitochondrial protein synthesis in mice lacking MTIF3 that results in loss of specific respiratory complexes. Therefore, we show that coordinated assembly of OXPHOS complexes requires stoichiometric levels of nuclear and mitochondrially-encoded protein subunits in vivo. Our ribosome profiling and transcriptomic analyses show that MTIF3 is required for recognition and regulation of translation initiation of mitochondrial mRNAs, but not dissociation of the ribosome subunits.
Project description:Nearly all mitochondrial proteins are nuclear-encoded and are targeted to their mitochondrial destination from the cytosol. Here, we used proximity-specific ribosome profiling to comprehensively measure translation at the mitochondrial surface in yeast. The majority of inner membrane proteins were co-translationally targeted to mitochondria, reminiscent of proteins entering the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Comparison between mitochondrial and ER localization demonstrated that the vast majority of proteins were targeted to a specific organelle. A prominent exception was the fumarate reductase Osm1, known to reside in mitochondria. We identified a conserved ER isoform of Osm1, which contributes to the oxidative protein folding capacity of the organelle. This dual localization was enabled by alternative translation initiation sites encoding distinct targeting signals. These findings highlight the exquisite in vivo specificity of organellar targeting mechanisms.