In organello silencing of mitochondrial gene expression.

Abstract

Mitochondria contain proteins from two genetic origins. Most mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nuclear genome, translated in the cytosol, and subsequently imported into the different mitochondrial sub-compartments. A small number is encoded in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The manipulation of the mtDNA gene expression represents a challenge. Here, we present an in vitro approach using morpholinos chemically linked to a precursor protein to silence gene expression in purified human mitochondria. The protocol is demonstrated with a Jac1-morpholino chimera specifically targeting COX1 mRNA. The chimera import and mitochondrial translation requirements are described in a step-by-step procedure, where the dose-dependent effect of reducing COX1 translation is observed. The affinity and specificity of chimera-mRNA binding also show great applicability to purify transcript-associated proteins by using the imported chimera construct as bait for immunoprecipitation. This new strategy opens up the possibility to address mechanistic questions about gene expression and physiology in mitochondria.