Sex-dependent phosphorylation of Argonaute 2 reduces the mitochondrial translocation of miR-181c and induces cardioprotection in females.

Obesity-induced cardiac dysfunction is growing at an alarming rate, showing a dramatic increase in global prevalence. Mitochondrial translocation of miR-181c in cardiomyocytes results in excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during obesity. ROS causes Sp1, a transcription factor for MICU1, to be degraded via post-translational modification.