Mitochondria-Associated Non-Coding RNAs
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 36
Special Issue Editors
Interests: molecular biology of cancer; non-coding RNAs; mitochondrial transfer; human and veterinarian applications of non-coding mitochondrial RNA targets; microRNAs
Interests: cancer; mitochondrial RNA; untranslated RNA; antisense RNA
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: obesity; cardiovascular health; muscle cell biology; mitochondrial DNA; microRNA
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Historically considered as the cell’s power plant, mitochondria have emerged as central players in a myriad of key roles besides providing the bulk of cellular ATP. These organelles fulfill an essential role in apoptosis, homeostasis, innate immunity, amino acid metabolism, phospholipid synthesis, and redox homeostasis, among others. The human mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) encodes 2 rRNAs (16S and 12S), 22 tRNAs, and 13 polypeptides involved in oxidative phosphorylation. The remaining proteins essential to mitochondrial function are encoded in the nuclear genome and imported post-translationally into the organelle, which is the result of gene transference from the ancestral prokaryote that gave rise to mitochondria to the nucleus, according to the endosymbiotic theory. Thus, communication between mitochondria and the nucleus has been occurring throughout evolution for billions of years. However, we now know that this trafficking among organelles also includes non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) to and from the mitochondria, fulfilling a wide array of cellular functions. Several of these transcripts are synthesized in mitochondria and exported to other organelles, including long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs). Conversely, lncRNAs, miRNAs, and circRNAs derived from nuclear transcription have been reported to enter mitochondria. Finally, some nuclear-encoded lncRNAs have been described to modulate mitochondrial functions without actually entering the organelle. Regardless of their origin, ncRNAs associated with mitochondria (mt-ncRNAs) are involved in several processes, such as oxidative phosphorylation, cell death and survival, mtDNA replication, and mitochondrial gene expression. In line with these functions, mt-ncRNAs are reported to be involved in aging, cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, among others. Therefore, dysregulation of these transcripts can trigger different pathophysiological processes, and thus mt-ncRNAs are currently under study as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The dissection of the different pathways affected by mt-ncRNAs will lay the groundwork for the development of potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for different human pathologies. This Special Issue aims to garner knowledge on the role of mt-ncRNAs involved in the regulation of mitochondrial functions and extra-mitochondrial processes.
Dr. Verónica A. Burzio
Dr. Jaime E. Villegas
Dr. Sam Das
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- mitochondrial-encoded ncRNAs
- mitochondrial miRNAs
- mitochondrial lncRNAs
- mitochondrial circRNAs
- nuclear-encoded mitochondrial ncRNAs
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
