Absence of expression from RNA internalised into electroporated mammalian mitochondria

Transfection of mammalian mitochondria has proved to be notoriously difficult. Whilst there have been sporadic reports of import of foreign nucleic acids into isolated organelles, these imported nucleic acids have never been demonstrated to be functional. Inability to manipulate mitochondrial gene expression has hampered our understanding of RNA processing, maturation and translation in mitochondria. In an attempt to establish a model system for mt-RNA expression, we have electroporated rat liver mitochondria and mitoplasts in the presence of various RNA constructs built around the mitochondrial reporter gene mt-luciferase. Following electroporation, a fraction of the RNA was shown to be stably maintained, mitochondria remained coupled for oxidative phosphorylation and intramitochondrial protein synthesis was unaffected. In no case, however, was this RNA translated.