Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies a large number of acute or progressive diseases, as well as aging. However, proposed therapies for mitochondrial mutations suffer from poor transformation of mitochondria with exogenous DNA, or lack of functionality of the transferred nucleic acid within the organelle. We show that a transfer RNA import complex (RIC) from the parasitic protozoon Leishmania tropica rapidly and efficiently delivered signal-tagged antisense (STAS) RNA or DNA to mitochondria of cultured human cells. STAS-induced specific degradation of the targeted mitochondrial mRNA, with downstream effects on respiration. These results reveal the existence of a novel small RNA-mediated mRNA degradation pathway in mammalian mitochondria, and suggest that RIC-mediated delivery could be used to target therapeutic RNAs to the organelle within intact cells.
Background: Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are intricate vascular anomalies that disrupt normal cerebral blood flow, potentially leading to severe neurological complications. Although the pathology of AVMs is not fully understood, epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated in their formation.
Methods: Transcriptional differences between cerebral AVMs and normal tissues were analyzed using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), identifying IGF2BP2 as a key differentially expressed gene.
Advanced deep learning and statistical methods can predict structural models for RNA molecules. However, RNAs are flexible, and it remains difficult to describe their macromolecular conformations in solutions where varying conditions can induce conformational changes. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in solution is an efficient technique to validate structural predictions by comparing the experimental SAXS profile with those calculated from predicted structures.
The microaerophilic Gram-negative bacterium H. pylori is associated with various gastric complications and affects nearly half of the global population. Current sero-diagnostic methods for H.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most frequent type of oral malignancy with high metastasis and poor prognosis. The deubiquitinating enzyme Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 44 (USP44) regulates the mitotic checkpoint, and its deficiency leads to aneuploidy and increases tumor incidence. However, the role of USP44 in OSCC is not well understood.
Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China. Electronic address:
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) is a significant pathogen in the swine industry. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNA molecules, have risen to prominence as key regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Their significance in regulating virus-host interactions is now widely acknowledged.
