title: A human mitochondrial poly(A) polymerase mutation reveals the complexities of post-transcriptional mitochondrial gene expression.
abstract: The p.N478D missense mutation in human mitochondrial poly(A) polymerase (mtPAP) has previously been implicated in a form of spastic ataxia with optic atrophy. In this study, we have investigated fibroblast cell lines established from family members. The homozygous mutation resulted in the loss of polyadenylation of all mitochondrial transcripts assessed; however, oligoadenylation was retained. Interestingly, this had differential effects on transcript stability that were dependent on the particular species of transcript. These changes were accompanied by a severe loss of oxidative phosphorylation complexes I and IV, and perturbation of de novo mitochondrial protein synthesis. Decreases in transcript polyadenylation and in respiratory chain complexes were effectively rescued by overexpression of wild-type mtPAP. Both mutated and wild-type mtPAP localized to the mitochondrial RNA-processing granules thereby eliminating mislocalization as a cause of defective polyadenylation. In vitro polyadenylation assays revealed severely compromised activity by the mutated protein, which generated only short oligo(A) extensions on RNA substrates, irrespective of RNA secondary structure. The addition of LRPPRC/SLIRP, a mitochondrial RNA-binding complex, enhanced activity of the wild-type mtPAP resulting in increased overall tail length. The LRPPRC/SLIRP effect although present was less marked with mutated mtPAP, independent of RNA secondary structure. We conclude that (i) the polymerase activity of mtPAP can be modulated by the presence of LRPPRC/SLIRP, (ii) N478D mtPAP mutation decreases polymerase activity and (iii) the alteration in poly(A) length is sufficient to cause dysregulation of post-transcriptional expression and the pathogenic lack of respiratory chain complexes.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute for Ageing and Health.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute for Ageing and Health.
authors.forename: Hue-Tran
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Hornig-Do
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute for Ageing and Health.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Jeong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alexis A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Jourdain
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Martinou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Göteborg, Box 440, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falkenberg
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Gleueler Strasse 50a, D-50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spåhr
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Gleueler Strasse 50a, D-50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Nils-Göran
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences and.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences and.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences and.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baslé
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arizona School of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85711, USA.
authors.forename: Harold E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Center for Behavior, Development, and Genetics, Medical Genetics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA and.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Lebel
authors.affiliation: Molecular Genetics, University of Exeter Medical School, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter EX2 5DW, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK, robert.lightowlers@ncl.ac.uk zofia.chrzanowska-lightowlers@ncl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Zofia M A
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Chrzanowska-Lightowlers
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK, robert.lightowlers@ncl.ac.uk zofia.chrzanowska-lightowlers@ncl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Robert N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Lightowlers
mesh_terms: D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D011062:Polynucleotide Adenylyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C087940:LRPPRC protein, human; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C512286:SLIRP protein, human; C029305:mitochondrial messenger RNA; D011062:Polynucleotide Adenylyltransferase