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Deletions and duplications in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cause mitochondrial disease and accumulate in conditions such as cancer and age-related disorders, but validated high-throughput methodology that can readily detect and discriminate between these two types of events is lacking. Here we establish a computational method, MitoSAlt, for accurate identification, quantification and visualization of mtDNA deletions and duplications from genomic sequencing data. Our method was tested on simulated sequencing reads and human patient samples with single deletions and duplications to verify its accuracy. Application to mouse models of mtDNA maintenance disease demonstrated the ability to detect deletions and duplications even at low levels of heteroplasmy., Author summary Deletions in the mitochondrial genome cause a wide variety of rare disorders, but are also linked to more common conditions such as neurodegeneration, diabetes type 2, and the normal ageing process. There is also a growing awareness that mtDNA duplications, which are also relevant for human disease, may be more common than previously thought. Despite their clinical importance, our current knowledge about the abundance, characteristics and diversity of mtDNA deletions and duplications is fragmented, and based to large extent on a limited view provided by traditional low-throughput analyses. Here, we describe a bioinformatics method, MitoSAlt, that can accurately map and classify mtDNA deletions and duplications using high-throughput sequencing. Application of this methodology to mouse models of mitochondrial deficiencies revealed a large number of duplications, suggesting that these may previously have been underestimated.

Summary The mitochondrial proteome is built mainly by import of nuclear-encoded precursors, which are targeted mostly by cleavable presequences. Presequence processing upon import is essential for proteostasis and survival, but the consequences of dysfunctional protein maturation are unknown. We find that impaired presequence processing causes accumulation of precursors inside mitochondria that form aggregates, which escape degradation and unexpectedly do not cause cell death. Instead, cells survive via activation of a mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR)-like pathway that is triggered very early after precursor accumulation. In contrast to classical stress pathways, this immediate response maintains mitochondrial protein import, membrane potential, and translation through translocation of the nuclear HMG-box transcription factor Rox1 to mitochondria. Rox1 binds mtDNA and performs a TFAM-like function pivotal for transcription and translation. Induction of early mtUPR provides a reversible stress model to mechanistically dissect the initial steps in mtUPR pathways with the stressTFAM Rox1 as the first line of defense., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Impaired presequence processing leads to precursor aggregation inside mitochondria • Intramitochondrial precursor aggregates trigger early transcriptional stress response • Relocalization of nuclear transcription factor Rox1 to mitochondria ensures survival • Mitochondrial Rox1 maintains mitochondrial genome expression upon early mtUPR, N-terminal presequences direct cytosolic precursor proteins to mitochondria. Poveda-Huertes et al. show that impaired presequence cleavage leads to proteotoxic aggregates inside mitochondria that trigger an early mtUPR-like stress response. Relocalization of the nuclear transcription factor Rox1 to mitochondria allows maintenance of mtDNA expression ensuring proteostasis and survival upon early mtUPR.

Replication of mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an essential process that requires high fidelity and control at multiple levels to ensure proper mitochondrial function. Mutations in the mitochondrial genome maintenance exonuclease 1 (MGME1) gene were recently reported in mitochondrial disease patients. Here, to study disease pathophysiology, we generated Mgme1 knockout mice and report that homozygous knockouts develop depletion and multiple deletions of mtDNA. The mtDNA replication stalling phenotypes vary dramatically in different tissues of Mgme1 knockout mice. Mice with MGME1 deficiency accumulate a long linear subgenomic mtDNA species, similar to the one found in mtDNA mutator mice, but do not develop progeria. This finding resolves a long-standing debate by showing that point mutations of mtDNA are the main cause of progeria in mtDNA mutator mice. We also propose a role for MGME1 in the regulation of replication and transcription termination at the end of the control region of mtDNA., It has been debated whether premature ageing in mitochondrial DNA mutator mice is driven by point mutations or deletions of mtDNA. Matic et al generate Mgme1 knockout mice and show here that these mice have tissue-specific replication stalling and accumulate deleted mtDNA, without developing progeria.

Replication of the mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is dependent on the minimal replisome, consisting of the heterotrimeric mtDNA polymerase (POLG), the hexameric DNA helicase TWINKLE and the tetrameric single-stranded DNA-binding protein (mtSSB). TWINKLE has been shown to unwind DNA during the replication process and many disease-causing mutations have been mapped to its gene. Patients carrying Twinkle mutations develop multiple deletions of mtDNA, deficient respiratory chain function and neuromuscular symptoms. Despite its importance in human disease, it has been unclear whether TWINKLE is the only replicative DNA helicase in mammalian mitochondria. Furthermore, a substantial portion of mtDNA replication events is prematurely terminated at the end of mitochondrial control region (D-loop) and it is unknown whether TWINKLE also has a role in this abortive replication. Here, we present a conditional mouse knockout for Twinkle and demonstrate that TWINKLE is essential for mouse embryonic development and thus is the only replicative DNA helicase in mammalian mitochondria. Conditional knockout of Twinkle results in severe and rapid mtDNA depletion in heart and skeletal muscle. No replication intermediates or deleted mtDNA molecules are observed after Twinkle knockout, suggesting that TWINKLE once loaded is very processive. We also demonstrate that TWINKLE is essential for nascent H-strand synthesis in the D-loop, thus showing that there is no separate DNA helicase responsible for replication of this region. Our data thus suggest that the relative levels of abortive D-loop synthesis versus complete mtDNA replication are regulated and may provide a mechanism to control progression to complete mtDNA replication.

Summary The regulation of mitochondrial RNA processing and its importance for ribosome biogenesis and energy metabolism are not clear. We generated conditional knockout mice of the endoribonuclease component of the RNase P complex, MRPP3, and report that it is essential for life and that heart and skeletal-muscle-specific knockout leads to severe cardiomyopathy, indicating that its activity is non-redundant. Transcriptome-wide parallel analyses of RNA ends (PARE) and RNA-seq enabled us to identify that in vivo 5′ tRNA cleavage precedes 3′ tRNA processing, and this is required for the correct biogenesis of the mitochondrial ribosomal subunits. We identify that mitoribosomal biogenesis proceeds co-transcriptionally because large mitoribosomal proteins can form a subcomplex on an unprocessed RNA containing the 16S rRNA. Taken together, our data show that RNA processing links transcription to translation via assembly of the mitoribosome.

Summary The organization of individual respiratory chain complexes into supercomplexes or respirasomes has attracted great interest because of the implications for cellular energy conversion. Recently, it was reported that commonly used mouse strains harbor a short COX7a2l (SCAFI) gene isoform that supposedly precludes the formation of complex IV-containing supercomplexes. This claim potentially has serious implications for numerous mouse studies addressing important topics in metabolism, including adaptation to space flights. Using several complementary experimental approaches, we show that mice with the short COX7a2l isoform have normal biogenesis and steady-state levels of complex IV-containing supercomplexes and consequently have normal respiratory chain function. Furthermore, we use a mouse knockout of Lrpprc and show that loss of complex IV compromises respirasome formation. We conclude that the presence of the short COX7a2l isoform in the commonly used C57BL/6 mouse strains does not prevent their use in metabolism research., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • C57BL/6J and C57BL/6N mouse strains contain a short COX7a2l gene isoform • The short COX7a2l isoform does not impair respiratory chain function or oxidative capacity • Complex IV-containing supercomplexes exist in mice with the short COX7a2l isoform • The biogenesis of respirasomes is normal in mice with the short COX7a2l isoform, In contrast to a recent report, Mourier et al. show that the presence of the short COX7a2l isoform in the commonly used C57BL/6 mouse strains does not affect the supramolecular organization and function of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.