A novel role for RNA-binding protein in mitochondrial mRNA translation and localization

U2AF1 and U2AF2 are RNA-binding proteins and form a heterodimer (U2AF) that shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm, regulating splicing in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm. 

The researchers in this study show that  a non-canonical function of the splicing factor U2AF1, where it interacts with nuclear-encoded mitochondrial (NE-mt) mRNAs and proteins, inhibits translation, localizes to the mitochondria, and regulates mRNA localization to mitochondria. 

An oncogenic missense mutation  of U2AF1(S34F) leads to pervasive changes in the mitochondria proteome and multi-faceted mitochondrial dysfunction. Similar phenotypes are observed in primary hematopoietic stem cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(26)00162-0

https://sciencemission.com/U2AF-regulates