Loss of epitranscriptomic mitochondrial RNA surveillance drives epithelial type I interferon and inflammation in autoimmunity
Chronic interferon (IFN) activation is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren’s disease (SjD), where epithelial cells are key contributors. Although viral and retroelement triggers have been proposed as triggers, direct evidence in patient tissues is limited, and endogenous mechanisms of epithelial IFN dysregulation remain unclear. Mitochondrial double-stranded RNA (mt-dsRNA) is a potent type I IFN (IFN-I) inducer, but its regulation in epithelial cells is poorly understood. We identify a mechanism in which the RNA methyltransferase METTL3 stabilizes REXO2 mRNA in primary salivary gland epithelial cells through N6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification. REXO2 encodes a mitochondrial exonuclease that controls mt-dsRNA. METTL3 inhibition reduces REXO2, causing mt-dsRNA accumulation and IFN-I signaling amplification and inflammation. Single-cell and bulk transcriptomic analyses, together with immunofluorescence of salivary gland tissues from SjD patients and controls, reveal reduced REXO2 expression and elevated IFN-I signatures in SjD. Rexo2 is likewise downregulated in epithelial cells of a spontaneous SjD mouse model. REXO2 loss amplifies IFN-I responses and inflammation across several epithelial contexts, while methyl donors restore REXO2 and dampen IFN activation, highlighting a targetable regulatory checkpoint in IFN-driven autoimmune diseases, alongside potential parallel stress pathways.
Authors
- Lukasz S. Borowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3766-0726)
- Nabila Seddiki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0379-8527)
- Gaëtane Nocturne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6809-0733)
- Arnaud Tête (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1097-3944)
- Albertas Navickas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0016-2643)
- Anna Paszek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5697-2309)
- Céline Mayet
- Rami Bechara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1611-0242)
- Johannes N. Spelbrink (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9756-2602)
- Xavier Mariette (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4244-5417)
- Thibaut Naninck
- Laurie Askenatzis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4122-2139)
- Linda Bilonda Mutala (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0057-8024)
- Roman J. Szczęsny (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0686-1632)
- Sacha E Silva-Saffar
- Alejandro Arco-Hierves
- Charlène Lasgi
- Juliette Pascaud
- Paul Mazet
- Konstantina Pamboukas
- Philippe Labrot
- Dory Vergallo
- Marta M. Dilling (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9444-7323)
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Arthritis Foundation (US)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- Inserm (FR)
- International Business School (HU)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Arthritis Australia (AU)
- University Medical Center (US)
- Radboud University Medical Center (NL)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR)
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (NL)
- Amalia Kinderziekenhuis (NL)
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
- CEA Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Infectious Disease Models and Innovative Therapies (FR)
- Bicêtre Hospital (FR)
- University of Warsaw (PL)
- Institut Curie (FR)
- CytRx (United States) (US)
- Nantes Université (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2026-08-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2534325123
- Primary Topic
- interferon and immune responses
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale