2026-06-30 理化学研究所,筑波大学
重力によるミトコンドリア翻訳調整の概要（generated by Issei Takahashi）
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.riken.jp/press/2026/20260630_2/index.html
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-74493-z
重力と機械力がミトコンドリア翻訳を形作る Gravitational and mechanical forces shape mitochondrial translation
Taisei Wakigawa (脇川 大誠),Yusuke Kimura,Mari Mito,Toshiya Tsubaki,Muhoon Lee,Koki Nakamura,Abdul Haseeb Khan,Hironori Saito,Tohru Yamamori,Tomokazu Yamazaki (山﨑誠和),Akira Higashibata,Tatsuhisa Tsuboi,Yusuke Hirabayashi,Nono Takeuchi-Tomita,Taku Saito,Atsushi Higashitani,Yuichi Shichino (七野 悠一) & Shintaro Iwasaki (岩崎 信太郎)
Nature Communications Published:30 June 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74493-z
Abstract
Life on Earth has evolved in a form suitable for the gravitational force. Although the pivotal role of gravity in gene expression has been suggested, the molecular details remain unclear. Here, we show that mitochondria utilize gravity to activate protein synthesis within the organelle. Genome-wide ribosome profiling reveals reduced mitochondrial translation in mammalian cells and Caenorhabditis elegans under microgravity. We found that attenuation of cell adhesion through laminin–integrin interactions caused the phenotype. Mitochondrial translation is activated by a signal relayed by FAK, RAC1, PAK1, BAD, and Bcl-2 family proteins in the cytosol, and the mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis (mtFAS) pathway in the matrix. Consumption of mitochondrial malonyl-CoA by mtFAS reduces the malonylation of the translational machinery and accelerates the rates of translational initiation and elongation. Physiologically, this system operates in mechano-response of skeletal muscles. Our work provides mechanistic insights into how cells convert gravitational and mechanical forces into translation in mitochondria.
