Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41932309›Full record

ArticleMolecular cell2026

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

Gloria R Garcia, Murali Palangat, Josquin Moraly, Benjamin T Donovan, Bixuan Wang, Ira Phadke, David Sturgill, Jiji Chen, Guofeng Zhang, Ronald J Holewinski and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular cell, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Gloria R GarciaCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Myeloid Malignancies Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Murali PalangatCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Myeloid Malignancies Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Josquin MoralyCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Benjamin T DonovanCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Bixuan WangCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Ira PhadkeCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
David SturgillCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Jiji ChenAdvanced Imaging and Microscopy Resource, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Guofeng ZhangTrans-NIH Shared Resource on Biomedical Engineering and Physical Science, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Ronald J HolewinskiFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA.
Brittney ShortUSF-TGH Precision Medicine Biorepository, Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
Gustavo A RiveroLombardi Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
David M SwobodaCancer Institute, Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
Naomi TaylorCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Myeloid Malignancies Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Kathy McGrawCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Myeloid Malignancies Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Daniel R LarsonCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Myeloid Malignancies Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: dan.larson@nih.gov.

Funding

Transcription Dynamics in Single CellsZIABC011383 · NCI · DIVISION OF BASIC SCIENCES - NCI · PI LARSON, DANIEL · 2011 to 2025
$23.8M
Intramural NIH HHS ZIA BC011383
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The mechanisms underlying molecular targeting to mitochondria remain enigmatic, yet this process is crucial for normal cellular function. The RNA-binding proteins U2AF1 and U2AF2 form a heterodimer (U2AF) that shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm, regulating splicing in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm. Our study in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) identifies an unexpected role for U2AF in mitochondrial function. We demonstrate that U2AF interacts with nuclear-encoded mitochondrial (NE-mt) 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 oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-dependent metabolic rewiring, recapitulating changes observed in bone marrow progenitors from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. These findings reveal a non-canonical role for U2AF, where it modulates multiple aspects of mitochondrial function by regulating the translation and mitochondrial localization of nuclear-encoded mRNAs.

Indexed as

Cell NucleusEpithelial CellsMitochondriaProtein BiosynthesisRNARNA, MessengerRNA, MitochondrialSplicing Factor U2AFBronchiCell LineHumansMetabolic ReprogrammingMyelodysplastic SyndromesOxidative PhosphorylationPoint MutationRNA Transportmitochondrial messenger RNARNARNA, MessengerRNA, MitochondrialSplicing Factor U2AFU2AF1 protein, humancancermetabolismmitochondriamRNA localizationmyeloid leukemiatranslationU2AF1

Identifiers

PMID41932309
PMCPMC13052343

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.