bioRxiv Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.64898/2025.12.16.694773

LncRNA H19 Upregulation Links Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome to Impaired PINK1/Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy and Ischemic Vulnerability

Fu, X.·Epting, C. L.·Sinha, A.·Monge, M. C.·Zhao, M.·Glinton, K.·Krishnan, S. T.·Nguyen, M. L. T.·Dudley, V. J.·Waypa, G. B.·Lara, P. G.·Kishawi, T.·Lantz, C.·Winlaw, D. S.·Schumacker, P. T.·Thorp, E. B.·Ge, Z.-D.
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

BACKGROUNDThe myocardium in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) exhibits immature metabolic programming, impaired mitochondrial quality control, and heightened susceptibility to ischemic and hypoxic injury during palliative surgery. The long non-coding RNA H19 suppresses translation of PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) mRNA and modulates mitochondrial quality control and ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) in adult hearts. Whether--and how--H19 regulates mitophagy and IRI in HLHS or in immature animals remains unknown. METHODSWe investigated H19 regulation and its role in mitophagy and ischemia/reperfusion or hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in myocardial tissue from HLHS patients, HLHS-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (HLHS-iPSC-CMs), and immature rat hearts. Mechanistic interactions among H19, PINK1/Parkin signaling, and mitophagosome formation were assessed using loss-of-function approaches. RESULTSHLHS myocardium exhibited markedly elevated H19 expression, accompanied by reduced PINK1 and Parkin protein abundance and diminished mitophagosome formation. Similar findings were observed in HLHS-iPSC-CMs exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation and in immature rat hearts subjected to myocardial IRI. H19 knockdown in HLHS-iPSC-CMs attenuated hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced lactate dehydrogenase release and restored PINK1 and Parkin protein levels. In immature rats, myocardial H19 silencing reduced infarct size, enhanced mitochondrial PINK1 and Parkin expression, and improved post-reperfusion cardiac function for up to 28 days. Conversely, knockdown of PINK1 or Parkin reduced mitophagosome formation and exacerbated functional deterioration during IRI. CONCLUSIONSH19 upregulation impairs PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy and increases susceptibility to ischemic and hypoxic injury in HLHS and the immature heart. These findings identify H19 as a key regulator of mitochondrial quality control and a potential therapeutic target for mitigating IRI in early-life cardiac disease. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=134 SRC="FIGDIR/small/694773v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (50K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@193defdorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@114ce7forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1010d05org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1fdeac1_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG O_FLOATNOGraphical AbstractC_FLOATNO C_FIG Novelty and SignificanceO_ST_ABSWhat Is Known?C_ST_ABSO_LIThe myocardium in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) exhibits immature metabolic programming, abnormal coronary perfusion, and impaired mitochondrial quality control, rendering it highly susceptible to ischemic and hypoxic injury. C_LIO_LIBoth structural limitations and intrinsic mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to the reduced ischemic tolerance of the HLHS heart, particularly during surgical and hemodynamic stress. C_LIO_LIThe long noncoding RNA H19 regulates mitochondrial quality control and modulates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) in adult hearts. C_LIO_LIH19 inhibits the binding of the translation initiation factor eIF4A2 to PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) mRNA, thereby suppressing PINK1 protein synthesis and influencing PINK1-dependent mitophagy in adult mice. C_LI What New Information Does This Article Contribute?O_LIThis study identifies robust upregulation of H19 in HLHS myocardium, HLHS-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (HLHS-iPSC-CMs) exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation, and in immature rats subjected to myocardial IRI. C_LIO_LIElevated H19 is associated with suppressed PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy, exacerbated IRI, and adverse post-injury remodeling. C_LIO_LIKnockdown of H19 restores mitochondrial PINK1 and Parkin protein levels, enhances mitophagy, reduces infarct size, and improves long-term recovery of cardiac function--demonstrating a previously unrecognized pathogenic role for H19 in the immature heart under stress. C_LIO_LIKnockdown of PINK1 or Parkin decreases mitophagosomes and exacerbates myocardial IRI in immature rats. C_LI

Explore related subjects

genomicsPreprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Fu, X., Epting, C. L., Sinha, A., Monge, M. C., Zhao, M., Glinton, K., Krishnan, S. T., Nguyen, M. L. T., Dudley, V. J., Waypa, G. B., Lara, P. G., Kishawi, T., Lantz, C., Winlaw, D. S., Schumacker, P. T., Thorp, E. B., Ge, Z.-D.. 2025-12-19. LncRNA H19 Upregulation Links Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome to Impaired PINK1/Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy and Ischemic Vulnerability. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.16.694773

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Genomic correlates of metastatic competence and progression in human melanoma

Genomic events and their timing that grant a primary tumour the competence to disseminate remain poorly defined. We performed sequencing of 247 stage I/II primary cutaneous melanomas (CMs) and 60 matched metastases without intervening therapy from a prospectively followed registry cohort with a median followup of 92 months, integrating copy-number, mutational, protein and spatial-transcriptomic analyses. Relapse was not distinguished by oncogenic point mutations, which were largely shared between primaries and metastases, but by somatic copy-number alterations (SCNAs) and global chromosomal instability. We defined OncoCycle, a six-gene copy-number signature (amplification of CDK4, MCL1 and CD276; biallelic loss of CDKN2A, CDKN2B and TP53BP1) that predicted relapse independently of established clinicopathological features in melanoma, and a pan-cancer analysis. In matched pairs, metastatic progression was driven by continued copy-number evolution and reduction in intra-tumoural heterogeneity, rather than by acquired point mutations, and OncoCycle alterations from primary tumours were preserved in metastasis seeding clones. Clonal reconstruction revealed both monoclonal and polyclonal metastasis seeding, and spatial transcriptomics resolved copy-number-defined metastatic subclones occupying and programming distinct immune and stromal niches. Thus, metastatic competence was primed early by focal SCNAs on a background of chromosomal instability, elaborated by continued copy-number evolution during dissemination and spatio-temporal interactions with the tumour-microenvironment.

genomics↗
bioRxiv2026

PfPHAST: Plasmodium falciparum Public Health Amplicon Sequencing Tool, a Streamlined Panel for Malaria Genomic Surveillance

Genomic tools can support malaria control policy through surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum populations, tracking antimalarial drug resistance, pfhrp2/3 deletions that compromise rapid diagnostic tests, and selection at the circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) vaccine target, as well as through molecular correction of therapeutic efficacy studies (TES). Multiplex Amplicons for Drug, Diagnostic, Diversity, and Differentiation Haplotypes using Targeted Resequencing (MAD4HatTeR), a comprehensive amplicon sequencing panel covering up to 276 targets, supports these applications but is tailored to research rather than routine programmatic use. We developed P. falciparum Public Health Amplicon Sequencing Tool (PfPHAST), a 56-target derivative of MAD4HatTeR spanning drug resistance loci, pfhrp2/3 deletion, PfCSP genotyping, non-falciparum species identification, and 20 high-heterozygosity microhaplotype loci for TES classification. We compared PfPHAST and MAD4HatTeR using laboratory strain controls, including two-strain dilution series and a five-strain mixture, across parasite densities of 100 to 10,000 parasites/L. At matched per-target depth, PfPHAST achieved a higher quality-control pass rate than MAD4HatTeR (94.4% versus 90.0%) and distributed reads more evenly across targets. The panels showed comparable recall and precision for drug resistance codons and microhaplotypes, reaching near-complete recall above 40% within-sample allele frequency (WSAF) at all densities, with reduced sensitivity for minor alleles below 10% WSAF at low parasite density in both panels. Observed and expected WSAF correlated strongly for both panels, and both resolved a five-strain polyclonal mixture, including a 5% minor strain. By concentrating sequencing capacity on targets of greatest programmatic relevance, PfPHAST offers a scalable, lower-cost alternative to comprehensive research panels without sacrificing performance on shared targets, complementing MAD4HatTeR for routine molecular malaria surveillance.

genomics↗
bioRxiv2026

Structural variation in repeat elements is widespread in normal human tissues and in tumorigenesis

Somatic mosaicism contributes to genomic variation, yet postzygotic structural variants remain under-characterized. We performed long- and short-read WGS from multiple individuals (n=47 normal tissues; n=168 samples) and identified mosaic structural variants in all individuals and germ layers, impacting a median 285.2 kb/genome. Nearly half of breakpoints were independently validated, with tissue distributions reflecting both early and late developmental origins. Most mosaic variants were repeat-mediated and 8.3% overlapped functional elements, an enrichment compared to germline variants. To extend these analyses in samples where long-read sequencing is infeasible, we measured repeat alterations from short-read sequencing, recapitulating mosaic tissue-specific differences. We characterized tumor- and tissue- specific variation in repeats across 15 cancer types and found tumor-related repeat variation to be similar in scale to that of normal mosaic variation. Tracking repeat changes in cell-free DNA provided a noninvasive approach for tumor monitoring. Our analyses revealed widespread repeat-driven structural variation in health and disease.

genomics↗