The mitochondrial mRNA stabilizing protein, SLIRP, regulates skeletal muscle mitochondrial structure and respiration by exercise-recoverable mechanisms | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article The mitochondrial mRNA stabilizing protein, SLIRP, regulates skeletal muscle mitochondrial structure and respiration by exercise-recoverable mechanisms Lykke Sylow, Tang Cam Phung Pham, Steffen Raun, Essi Havula, Carlos Henriquez-Olguín, and 29 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3900062/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Nov, 2024 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Decline in mitochondrial function associates with decreased muscle mass and strength in multiple conditions, including sarcopenia and type 2 diabetes. Optimal treatment could include improving mitochondrial function, however, there are limited and equivocal data regarding the molecular cues controlling muscle mitochondrial plasticity. Here we uncover the mitochondrial-mRNA-stabilizing protein SLIRP, in complex with LRPPRC, as a PGC-1α target that regulates mitochondrial structure, respiration, and mitochondrially-encoded-mRNA pools in skeletal muscle. Exercise training effectively counteracted mitochondrial defects induced by loss of LRPPRC/SLIRP, despite sustained low mitochondrially-encoded-mRNA pools, via increased mitoribosome translation capacity. In humans, exercise training robustly increased muscle SLIRP and LRPPRC protein content across exercise modalities and sexes, yet this increase was less prominent in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Our work identifies a mechanism of post-transcriptional mitochondrial regulation in skeletal muscle through mitochondrial mRNA stabilization. It emphasizes exercise as an effective approach to alleviate mitochondrial defects by possibly increasing mitoribosome capacity. Biological sciences/Physiology/Metabolism/Mitochondria/Energy metabolism Biological sciences/Cell biology/Organelles/Mitochondria/Energy metabolism SRA stem-loop interacting RNA-binding protein mitochondrial dysfunction skeletal muscle exercise training Drosophila Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Nov, 2024 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3900062","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":272010039,"identity":"bf804d54-ee2a-4eb3-8afd-36590c6b2fa7","order_by":0,"name":"Lykke 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