Secondary structures that regulate mRNA translation provide insights for ASO-mediated modulation of cardiac hypertrophy

Translation of upstream open reading frames (uORFs) typically abrogates translation of main (m)ORFs. The molecular mechanism of uORF regulation in cells is not well understood. Here, we data-mined human and mouse heart ribosome profiling analyses and identified a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) structure within the GATA4 uORF that cooperates with the start codon to augment uORF translation and inhibits mORF translation. A trans-acting RNA helicase DDX3X inhibits the GATA4 uORF-dsRNA activity and modulates the translational balance of uORF and mORF. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that disrupt this dsRNA structure promote mORF translation, while ASOs that base-pair immediately downstream (i.e., forming a bimolecular double-stranded region) of either the uORF or mORF start codon enhance uORF or mORF translation, respectively. Human cardiomyocytes and mice treated with a uORF-enhancing ASO showed reduced cardiac GATA4 protein levels and increased resistance to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. We further show the broad utility of uORF-dsRNA- or mORF-targeting ASO to regulate mORF translation for other mRNAs. This work demonstrates that the uORF-dsRNA element regulates the translation of multiple mRNAs as a generalizable translational control mechanism. Moreover, we develop a valuable strategy to alter protein expression and cellular phenotypes by targeting or generating dsRNA downstream of a uORF or mORF start codon.