Authors
Xinqiang Yin, Weiyan Qi, Lifen Lin, Huilin Zheng, Guoxiang Zhao, Quan Chen, Guoqiang Shao, Yifan Wu, Jialiang Hu, Hanmei Xu
Published in
Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany). Pages e77242. Oct 18, 2026. Epub Oct 18, 2026.
Abstract
Since its elucidation, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle has been regarded as a fully defined enzymatic pathway. Here, we report the discovery of a previously unrecognized micropeptide component of this central metabolic system. Through analyzing ribosome profiling data from the mouse sORFs.org database, we discovered APPM (ATP production-promoting micropeptide), a 29-amino acid peptide encoded by a non-canonical small open reading frame within the mouse Ctsb gene. APPM localizes to the mitochondrial matrix and inner membrane, where it directly binds to the E1 subunit (OGDH) of the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDHc). This interaction modulates OGDHc enzymatic activity, thereby regulating NADH and ATP production. We identified tyrosine-13 as the critical residue mediating the APPM-OGDH interaction and functional activation. Exogenous APPM administration increased ATP levels in vivo and, in a mouse model of heart failure, restored cardiac function, outperforming the reference drug trimetazidine. Collectively, our findings identify APPM as the first micropeptide regulator of the OGDH complex, expanding the known repertoire of the TCA cycle and presenting a potential therapeutic strategy for diseases characterized by bioenergetic insufficiency.
PMID:
42893408
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 18 Oct 2026.
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