Work

Post-transcriptional control of mitochondrial protein composition in changing environmental conditions

Year: 2020

Type: review

Abstract: In fluctuating environmental conditions, organisms must modulate their bioenergetic production in order to maintain cellular homeostasis for optimal fitness. Mitochondria are hubs for metabolite and energy generation. Mitochondria are also highly dynamic in their function: modulating their composition, size, density, and the network-like architecture in relation to the metabolic demands of the cell. Here, we review the recent research on the post-transcriptional regulation of mitochondrial composition focusing on mRNA localization, mRNA translation, protein import, and the role that dynamic mitochondrial structure may have on these gene expression processes. As mitochondrial structure and function has been shown to be very important for age-related processes, including cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegeneration, understanding how mitochondrial composition can be affected in fluctuating conditions can lead to new therapeutic directions to pursue.

Source: Biochemical Society Transactions

DOI: 10.1042/bst20200250

Authors: Tatsuhisa Tsuboi, Jordan Leff, Brian M. Zid

Institution: University of California San Diego

Language: English

Topic: Mitochondrial Function and Pathology

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Award: Causes and consequences of differential mRNA localization to mRNP granules