Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle

Abstract During mitochondrial damage, information is relayed between the mitochondria and nucleus to coordinate precise responses to preserve cellular health. One such pathway is the mitochondrial integrated stress response (mtISR), which is known to be activated by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage....

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Main Authors: Simon T. Bond, Emily J. King, Shannen M. Walker, Christine Yang, Yingying Liu, Kevin H. Liu, Aowen Zhuang, Aaron W. Jurrjens, Haoyun A. Fang, Luke E. Formosa, Artika P. Nath, Sergio Ruiz Carmona, Michael Inouye, Thy Duong, Kevin Huynh, Peter J. Meikle, Simon Crawford, Georg Ramm, Sheik Nadeem Elahee Doomun, David P. de Souza, Danielle L. Rudler, Anna C. Calkin, Aleksandra Filipovska, David W. Greening, Darren C. Henstridge, Brian G. Drew
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57299-3
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author Simon T. Bond
Emily J. King
Shannen M. Walker
Christine Yang
Yingying Liu
Kevin H. Liu
Aowen Zhuang
Aaron W. Jurrjens
Haoyun A. Fang
Luke E. Formosa
Artika P. Nath
Sergio Ruiz Carmona
Michael Inouye
Thy Duong
Kevin Huynh
Peter J. Meikle
Simon Crawford
Georg Ramm
Sheik Nadeem Elahee Doomun
David P. de Souza
Danielle L. Rudler
Anna C. Calkin
Aleksandra Filipovska
David W. Greening
Darren C. Henstridge
Brian G. Drew
author_facet Simon T. Bond
Emily J. King
Shannen M. Walker
Christine Yang
Yingying Liu
Kevin H. Liu
Aowen Zhuang
Aaron W. Jurrjens
Haoyun A. Fang
Luke E. Formosa
Artika P. Nath
Sergio Ruiz Carmona
Michael Inouye
Thy Duong
Kevin Huynh
Peter J. Meikle
Simon Crawford
Georg Ramm
Sheik Nadeem Elahee Doomun
David P. de Souza
Danielle L. Rudler
Anna C. Calkin
Aleksandra Filipovska
David W. Greening
Darren C. Henstridge
Brian G. Drew
author_sort Simon T. Bond
collection DOAJ
description Abstract During mitochondrial damage, information is relayed between the mitochondria and nucleus to coordinate precise responses to preserve cellular health. One such pathway is the mitochondrial integrated stress response (mtISR), which is known to be activated by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. However, the causal molecular signals responsible for activation of the mtISR remain mostly unknown. A gene often associated with mtDNA mutations/deletions is Polg1, which encodes the mitochondrial DNA Polymerase γ (PolG). Here, we describe an inducible, tissue specific model of PolG mutation, which in muscle specific animals leads to rapid development of mitochondrial dysfunction and muscular degeneration in male animals from ~5 months of age. Detailed molecular profiling demonstrated robust activation of the mtISR in muscles from these animals. This was accompanied by striking alterations to enzymes in the mitochondrial folate cycle that was likely driven by a specific depletion in the folate cycle metabolite 5,10 methenyl-THF, strongly implying imbalanced folate intermediates as a previously unrecognised pathology linking the mtISR and mitochondrial disease.
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spelling doaj-art-345a906e47c24af198ae8e2c6ca1d92f2025-08-20T02:59:54ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-0116112110.1038/s41467-025-57299-3Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycleSimon T. Bond0Emily J. King1Shannen M. Walker2Christine Yang3Yingying Liu4Kevin H. Liu5Aowen Zhuang6Aaron W. Jurrjens7Haoyun A. Fang8Luke E. Formosa9Artika P. Nath10Sergio Ruiz Carmona11Michael Inouye12Thy Duong13Kevin Huynh14Peter J. Meikle15Simon Crawford16Georg Ramm17Sheik Nadeem Elahee Doomun18David P. de Souza19Danielle L. Rudler20Anna C. Calkin21Aleksandra Filipovska22David W. Greening23Darren C. Henstridge24Brian G. Drew25Baker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBiochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash UniversityBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteMonash Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo Electron Microscopy, Monash UniversityBiochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash UniversityMetabolomics Australia, Bio21Metabolomics Australia, Bio21ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Western AustraliaBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Western AustraliaBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteBaker Heart & Diabetes InstituteAbstract During mitochondrial damage, information is relayed between the mitochondria and nucleus to coordinate precise responses to preserve cellular health. One such pathway is the mitochondrial integrated stress response (mtISR), which is known to be activated by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. However, the causal molecular signals responsible for activation of the mtISR remain mostly unknown. A gene often associated with mtDNA mutations/deletions is Polg1, which encodes the mitochondrial DNA Polymerase γ (PolG). Here, we describe an inducible, tissue specific model of PolG mutation, which in muscle specific animals leads to rapid development of mitochondrial dysfunction and muscular degeneration in male animals from ~5 months of age. Detailed molecular profiling demonstrated robust activation of the mtISR in muscles from these animals. This was accompanied by striking alterations to enzymes in the mitochondrial folate cycle that was likely driven by a specific depletion in the folate cycle metabolite 5,10 methenyl-THF, strongly implying imbalanced folate intermediates as a previously unrecognised pathology linking the mtISR and mitochondrial disease.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57299-3
spellingShingle Simon T. Bond
Emily J. King
Shannen M. Walker
Christine Yang
Yingying Liu
Kevin H. Liu
Aowen Zhuang
Aaron W. Jurrjens
Haoyun A. Fang
Luke E. Formosa
Artika P. Nath
Sergio Ruiz Carmona
Michael Inouye
Thy Duong
Kevin Huynh
Peter J. Meikle
Simon Crawford
Georg Ramm
Sheik Nadeem Elahee Doomun
David P. de Souza
Danielle L. Rudler
Anna C. Calkin
Aleksandra Filipovska
David W. Greening
Darren C. Henstridge
Brian G. Drew
Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle
Nature Communications
title Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle
title_full Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle
title_fullStr Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle
title_full_unstemmed Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle
title_short Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle
title_sort mitochondrial damage in muscle specific polg mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57299-3
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