Angiogenin mediates cell-cell fusion as a mitochondrial RNA processing enzyme

Abstract

Cell–cell fusion, essential for diverse physiological events, requires high ATP levels. While mitochondrial activity increases in fusing cells, the mechanism driving mitochondrial ribosome (mitoribosome) biogenesis to support these energy demands remains unclear. Here, we identify angiogenin (ANG) as a mitochondrial tRNA (mt-tRNA) processing enzyme critical for mitoribosome biogenesis during myoblast and osteoclast fusion. Upon fusion initiation, ANG translocates to mitochondria, promoting mitoribosome biogenesis to support translation of respiratory complex proteins for ATP production. Using transcriptome-wide PARE and 5′ RACE analyses, we show that ANG cleaves the tRNA 3’-end in mitochondrial pre-RNA transcripts bordering rRNAs and mRNAs, enabling their release for translation. Loss of ANG or disruption of its ribonucleolytic activity impairs osteoclast and myoblast fusion, disrupting bone and muscle homeostasis and skeletal muscle regeneration post-injury. Our findings establish ANG as an essential mitoribosome biogenesis regulator and highlight a novel mechanism of mitochondria energy regulation in high-energy-demand biological processes.

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Funding

Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Inc.)(R01AG068226)

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