Efficient mitochondrial function is required in tissues with high energy demand such as the heart, and mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with cardiovascular disease. Expression of mitochondrial proteins is tightly regulated in response to internal and external stimuli. Here we identify a novel mechanism regulating mitochondrial content and function, through BUD23-dependent ribosome generation. BUD23 was required for ribosome maturation, normal 18S/28S stoichiometry and modulated the translation of mitochondrial transcripts in human A549 cells. Deletion of Bud23 in murine cardiomyocytes reduced mitochondrial content and function, leading to severe cardiomyopathy and death. We discovered that BUD23 selectively promotes ribosomal interaction with low GC-content 5'UTRs. Taken together we identify a critical role for BUD23 in bioenergetics gene expression, by promoting efficient translation of mRNA transcripts with low 5'UTR GC content. BUD23 emerges as essential to mouse development, and to postnatal cardiac function.
Keywords: cardiac; cell biology; human; mitochondria; mouse; protein translation; ribosome.
Cells need to make proteins to survive, so they have protein-making machines called ribosomes. Ribosomes are themselves made out of proteins and RNA (a molecule similar to DNA), and they are assembled by other proteins that bring ribosomal components together and modify them until the ribosomes are functional.Mitochondria are compartments in the cell that are in charge of providing it with energy. To do this they require several proteins produced by the ribosomes. If not enough mitochondrial proteins are made, mitochondria cannot provide enough energy for the cell to survive.One of the proteins involved in modifying ribosomes so they are functional is called BUD23. People with certain diseases, such as Williams-Beuren syndrome, do not make enough BUD23; but it was unknown what specific effects resulted from a loss of BUD23.To answer this question, Baxter et al. first genetically removed BUD23 from human cells, and then checked what happened to protein production. They found that ribosomes in human cells with no BUD23 were different than in normal cells, and that cells without BUD23 produced different proteins, which did not always perform their roles correctly. Proteins in the mitochondria are one of the main groups affected by the absence of BUD23. To determine what effects these modified mitochondrial proteins would have in an animal, Baxter et al. genetically modified mice so that they no longer produced BUD23. These mice developed heart problems caused by their mitochondria not working correctly and being unable to provide the energy the heart cells needed, eventually leading to heart failure. Heart problems are common in people with Williams-Beuren syndrome.Many diseases arise when a person’s mitochondria do not work properly, but it is often unclear why. These experiments suggest that low levels of BUD23 or faulty ribosomes may be causing mitochondria to work poorly in some of these diseases, which could lead to the development of new therapies.
© 2020, Baxter et al.