Gm20257 is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). It is significantly associated with mitochondrial function, especially in the context of pathological cardiac hypertrophy, a major contributor to heart failure. It functions through the PGC-1α -mitochondrial complex IV axis, modulating mitochondrial function, which is crucial for maintaining normal cardiac function [1].

In both in vivo and in vitro studies, suppression of Gm20257 by small interfering RNAs significantly induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Conversely, overexpression of Gm20257, either through plasmid transfection or adeno-associated viral vector-9, mitigated angiotensin II-induced hypertrophic phenotypes in neonatal mouse ventricular cells or alleviated cardiac hypertrophy in a mouse transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model, restoring cardiac function. Bioinformatics prediction and subsequent experiments revealed that Gm20257 directly targets peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1 (PGC-1α), affecting its expression, rescuing the reduction of mitochondrial complex IV induced by hypertrophic stress, and promoting mitochondrial ATP generation [1].

In conclusion, Gm20257 plays a vital role in improving mitochondrial function through the PGC-1α-mitochondrial complex IV axis. The use of in vivo mouse models, such as the TAC model, has provided insights into its role in alleviating pathological cardiac hypertrophy, suggesting potential novel approaches for treating heart-related diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction [1].