Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40745161›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

mRNA trafficking directs cell-size-scaling of mitochondria distribution and function.

Joshua J Bradbury, Georgia E Hulmes, Ranjith Viswanathan, Guilherme Costa, Holly E Lovegrove, Shane P Herbert

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. 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. Review
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

6 authors.

Joshua J BradburyFaculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK.
Georgia E Hulmes *Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3975-6409
Ranjith Viswanathan *Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK.
Guilherme CostaFaculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2313-3319
Holly E LovegroveFaculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK.
Shane P HerbertFaculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK. shane.herbert@manchester.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2517-1845

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust (Wellcome) 219500/Z/19/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The subcellular positioning of organelles is critical to their function and is dynamically adapted to changes in cell morphology. Yet, how cells sense shifts in their dimensions and redistribute organelles accordingly remains unclear. Here we reveal that cell-size-scaling of mitochondria distribution and function is directed by polarised trafficking of mRNAs. We identify a 29 bp 3'UTR motif in mRNA encoding TRAK2, a key determinant of mitochondria retrograde transport, that promotes cell-size-dependent targeting of TRAK2 mRNA to distal sites of cell protrusions. Cell-size-scaled mRNA polarisation in turn scales mitochondria distribution by defining the precise site of TRAK2-MIRO1 retrograde transport complex assembly. Consequently, 3'UTR motif excision perturbs size-regulated transport and eradicates scaling of mitochondria positioning, triggering distal accumulation of mitochondria and progressive hypermotility as cells increase size. Together, our results reveal an RNA-driven mechanistic basis for the cell-size-scaling of organelle distribution and function that is critical to homeostatic control of motile cell behaviour.

Indexed as

Cell SizeMitochondriaRNA, Messenger3' Untranslated RegionsHumansRNA TransportSaccharomyces cerevisiaeSaccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins3' Untranslated RegionsRNA, MessengerSaccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins

Identifiers

PMID40745161
PMCPMC12313994

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.