Evidence mapPaperPMID 41258406Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Identifying a novel Mecp2-mediated epigenetic mechanism controlling Lonp1 in the hippocampus and its disruption by aging.

Jesús Llanquinao-Sandoval, Karina A Cicali, Claudia Jara, Carlos Vigil-Vásquez, Marcela K Sjöberg-Herrera, Micaela Ricca, Sebastian Valenzuela, Alejandra Loyola, Marcello Pinti, Andreas Schüller and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

12 authors.

Jesús Llanquinao-SandovalLaboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Huechuraba, 8580702, Santiago, Chile.
Karina A CicaliLaboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Huechuraba, 8580702, Santiago, Chile.
Claudia JaraLaboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Huechuraba, 8580702, Santiago, Chile.
Carlos Vigil-VásquezLaboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Huechuraba, 8580702, Santiago, Chile.
Marcela K Sjöberg-HerreraSchool of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 8331150, Santiago, Chile.
Micaela RiccaCentro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Avenida del Valle Norte 725, Huechuraba, 8580702, Santiago, Chile.
Sebastian ValenzuelaCentro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Avenida del Valle Norte 725, Huechuraba, 8580702, Santiago, Chile.
Alejandra LoyolaFacultad de Ciencias, Universidad San Sebastián, Lota 2465, 7510157, Santiago, Chile.
Marcello PintiDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy.
Andreas SchüllerSchool of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 8331150, Santiago, Chile.
Bredford KerrLaboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Metabolism, Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile. Bredford.kerr@uss.cl.
Cheril Tapia-RojasLaboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Huechuraba, 8580702, Santiago, Chile. cheril.tapia@uss.cl.

Funding

Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo 11241376Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo 1230905Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo 1241935Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo 21212277Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Centro Ciencia & Vida, FB210008
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aging is characterized by a progressive decline in cellular function, including the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for learning and memory. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of aging, critical for hippocampal deterioration. The mitochondrial protease Lonp1 is a key regulator of mitochondrial proteostasis, and its diminished expression or activity has been implicated in age-related dysfunction in non-neuronal cells. However, despite its essential role in maintaining mitochondrial function, the transcriptional regulation of Lonp1 remains poorly understood. Evidence suggests that Lonp1 is subject to epigenetic control via changes in DNA methylation patterns. Mepc2, a DNA-methylation reader, acts as a transcriptional regulator highly expressed in neurons, either activating or repressing gene expression. Yet, its role in the mitochondria of aged hippocampus and its potential role as Lonp1 regulator haven't been explored. Here, we investigated Lonp1 expression and its epigenetic regulation by Mecp2 in the hippocampus of aged SAMP8 mice. We identified CpG islands in the Lonp1 promoter, near the transcription start site, where DNA methylation levels increase in aged hippocampal tissue. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that Mecp2 directly binds to the Lonp1 promoter, with a significant reduction in binding observed in aged mice, correlating with increased Lonp1 mRNA levels. These findings show, for the first time, that Mecp2 is a transcriptional repressor of Lonp1 in the hippocampus. Additionally, unlike humans expressing three isoforms of Lonp1, mice exhibit only the full-length mitochondrial isoform. Interestingly, despite increased Lonp1 mRNA levels in aged mice, their protein levels were significantly decreased in the aged hippocampus. This unexpected result is, at least in part, explained by the enhanced Lonp1 protein degradation by the lysosome. Together, our findings reveal a novel mechanism that drives Lonp1 expression, linking Mecp2-mediated epigenetic regulation to age-related mitochondrial dysfunction. This study reveals Mecp2 and Lonp1 as potential therapeutic targets for mitochondrial proteostasis in aging.

Indexed as

AgingATP-Dependent ProteasesEpigenesis, GeneticHippocampusMethyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2Mitochondrial ProteinsAnimalsCpG IslandsDNA MethylationMaleMiceMitochondriaPromoter Regions, GeneticATP-Dependent ProteasesMecp2 protein, mouseMethyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2Mitochondrial ProteinsAgingEpigeneticsHippocampusLonp1Mecp2

Identifiers

PMID41258406
PMCPMC12630614

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.