Long noncoding RNAs are generated from the mitochondrial genome and regulated by nuclear-encoded proteins.
Human mitochondrial long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have not been described to date. By analysis of deep-sequencing data we have identified three lncRNAs generated from the mitochondrial genome and confirmed their expression by Northern blotting and strand-specific qRT-PCR. We show that the abundance of these lncRNAs is comparable to their complementary mRNAs and that nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins involved in RNA processing regulate their expression. We also identify the 5' and 3' transcript ends of the three lncRNAs and show that mitochondrial RNase P protein 1 (MRPP1) is important for the processing of these transcripts. Finally, we show that mitochondrial lncRNAs form intermolecular duplexes and that their abundance is cell- and tissue-specific, suggesting a functional role in the regulation of mitochondrial gene expression.
Western Australian Institute for Medical Research and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Oliver
O
Rackham
Anne-Marie J
AM
Shearwood
Tim R
TR
Mercer
Stefan M K
SM
Davies
John S
JS
Mattick
Aleksandra
A
Filipovska
D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D020871:RNA Stability; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D043262:Ribonuclease P / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D043262:Ribonuclease P