Measurement of mitochondrial mRNA polyadenylation as a evaluation method for mitochondrial function

• Project/Area Number: 17K15777
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Laboratory medicine
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Aihara Masamune 九州大学, 医学研究院, 講師 (30748843)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: ミトコンドリア / Poly(A) / ミトコンドリアmRNA / ATP

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Decreasing in mitochondrial function is associated with various diseases and aging, but its functional evaluation is not widely used because samples used for the test are collected in an invasive manner. As an alternative method used small sample volume, we evaluated the quantitative analysis of mitochondrial mRNA polyadenylation elongated using ATP as a substrate. We confirmed that the mitochondrial mRNAs were polyadenylated shorter in cultured cells with reduced mitochondrial function, as well as its expression levels were partly altered.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ミトコンドリア機能は様々の疾患や老化との関係が示唆されていますが、従来の検査法では侵襲性が高くまた検査自体も熟練を要する難しい手技を含むため、一般的な検査として普及させることは困難です。私たちは本研究を通じて新たなミトコンドリア機能の評価指標に関する知見を得ることができ、今後のミトコンドリア機能検査の発展に必要な知見を得ることができました。