Too much RNA can starve cells of energy, study finds
Researchers at Texas A&M have discovered that an accumulation of excess RNA within cells can impair mitochondria and reduce energy production. This finding suggests that RNA degradation plays a critical role in maintaining cellular energy levels during viral infections.
Why it matters
Understanding this mechanism could lead to new insights into treating viral infections, age-related diseases, and improving the safety of RNA-based therapeutics like mRNA vaccines.
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Add as preferred source Dr. Djamal Brahim Belhaouari (left) and Dr. Zhilong Yang examine cell cultures during research that revealed excess RNA can damage mitochondria and reduce a cell's ability to produce energy. Credit: Texas A&M University A new study from researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) has uncovered a previously unknown consequence of viral infection: Too much RNA inside a cell can disrupt its ability to produce energy.
Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , the study found that when excess RNA builds up inside cells during poxvirus infection, it can impair mitochondria—the structures responsible for generating most of a cell's energy—reducing the cell's ability to function normally.
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