Nutrient-dependent regulation of a stable intron modulates germline mitochondrial quality control

Mitochondria are inherited exclusively from the mothers and are required for the proper development of embryos. Hence, germline mitochondrial quality is highly regulated during oogenesis to ensure oocyte viability. How nutrient availability influences germline mitochondrial quality control is unclear. Here we find that fasting leads to the accumulation of mitochondrial clumps and oogenesis arrest in Drosophila. Fasting induces the downregulation of the DIP1-Clueless pathway, leading to an increase in the expression of a stable intronic sequence RNA called sisR-1. Mechanistically, sisR-1 localizes to the mitochondrial clumps to inhibit the poly-ubiquitination of the outer mitochondrial protein Porin/VDAC1, thereby suppressing p62-mediated mitophagy. Alleviation of the fasting-induced high sisR-1 levels by either sisR-1 RNAi or refeeding leads to mitophagy, the resumption of oogenesis and an improvement in oocyte quality. Thus, our study provides a possible mechanism by which fasting can improve oocyte quality by modulating the mitochondrial quality control pathway. Of note, we uncover that the sisR-1 response also regulates mitochondrial clumping and oogenesis during protein deprivation, heat shock and aging, suggesting a broader role for this mechanism in germline mitochondrial quality control. The quality of germline mitochondria is essential for producing healthy oocytes. Here, Ng, Chan and Pek report a stable intron that modulates germline mitochondrial quality control during fasting, heat stress and aging.