U2AF regulates the translation and localization of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial mRNAs

The RNA binding proteins U2AF1/2 form a heterodimer (U2AF) that shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm, regulating splicing in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm. Our study identifies an unexpected role for U2AF in mitochondrial function.

We demonstrate that U2AF interacts with nuclear-encoded mitochondrial mRNAs and proteins, inhibits translation, localizes to the mitochondria, and regulates mRNA localization to mitochondria. Moreover, an oncogenic point-mutation in U2AF1(S34F) disrupts this regulation, leading to altered mitochondrial structure, increased translation, large changes in the mitochondria proteome, and OXPHOS-dependent metabolic rewiring, recapitulating changes observed in bone marrow progenitors from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.