A peptide encoded by a transcript annotated as long noncoding RNA enhances SERCA activity in muscle

TLDR

Micropeptides encoded by lncRNAs, such as myoregulin, inhibit the SERCA calcium pump and impair muscle performance, underscoring the importance of studying other lncRNA‑derived peptides like DWORF, which has the opposite effect. The study aims to determine whether DWORF can improve cardiac muscle function in mammals with heart disease. DWORF activates the SERCA calcium pump in mammalian muscle cells, thereby enhancing calcium reuptake. The peptide was found to enhance muscle performance by activating the SERCA pump. Nelson et al.

Abstract

Another micropeptide flexes its muscle Genome annotation is a complex but imperfect art. Attesting to its limitations is the growing evidence that certain transcripts annotated as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in fact code for small peptides with biologically important functions. One such lncRNA-derived micropeptide in mammals is myoregulin, which reduces muscle performance by inhibiting the activity of a key calcium pump. Nelson et al. describe the opposite activity in a second lncRNA-derived micropeptide in mammalian muscle, called DWORF (see the Perspective by Payre and Desplan). This peptide enhances muscle performance by activating the same calcium pump. DWORF may prove to be useful in improving the cardiac muscle function of mammals with heart disease. Science , this issue p. 271 ; see also p. 226