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A conserved mammalian mecciRNA, mecciATP6, regulates mitochondrial homeostasis through interaction with HNRNPA3

Xiaoyang Cao1, Juzheng Sui1, Ge Shan1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, The RNA Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.

Non-Coding RNA Research
|March 30, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Mitochondria-encoded circular RNAs (mecciRNAs) are newly explored for their conservation. Researchers identified a conserved mecciRNA, mecciATP6, that regulates mitochondrial homeostasis by interacting with HNRNPA3.

Area of Science:

  • Mitochondrial biology
  • RNA biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are RNA molecules with a covalent loop structure.
  • Nuclear-encoded circRNAs are conserved across species, but mitochondria-encoded circRNAs (mecciRNAs) are understudied.
  • The evolutionary conservation and function of mecciRNAs are largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary conservation of mecciRNAs.
  • To explore the physiological significance of mecciRNAs.
  • To identify conserved mecciRNA-protein interactions in mammals.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of mitochondrial RNA sequencing data from human and mouse cells.
  • Identification and characterization of a novel mecciRNA.
  • Investigation of mecciRNA-protein interactions using molecular biology techniques.

Main Results:

  • A conserved mecciRNA, mecciATP6, derived from the MT-ATP6 gene locus was identified in human and mouse cells.
  • mecciATP6 was shown to regulate mitochondrial homeostasis.
  • mecciATP6 binds to and regulates the protein abundance of the RNA-binding protein HNRNPA3.

Conclusions:

  • This study establishes a framework for defining mecciRNA conservation across mammals.
  • A conserved regulatory mechanism involving a mecciRNA and an RNA-binding protein (HNRNPA3) linked to mitochondrial homeostasis was uncovered.
  • The findings highlight the functional importance of mecciRNAs in cellular physiology.
Keywords:
HNRNPA3Mitochondria-encoded circRNAMitochondrial homeostasisRNA stabilitycircRNA

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