Mitochondrial Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Proteins: in Search for New Functions

• Published in: Biological chemistry Vol. 382; no. 2; pp. 179 - 186
• Main Authors: Tomáka, L'ubomír, Nosek, Jozef, Kucejová, Blanka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Walter de Gruyter 01.02.2001
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Candida - genetics; Candida - metabolism; Candida parapsilosis; DNA, Single-Stranded - metabolism; DNA-Binding Proteins - chemistry; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Evolution, Molecular; Humans; Mitochondria - metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Protein Conformation; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
• ISSN: 1431-6730; 1437-4315
• DOI: 10.1515/BC.2001.025

During the evolution of the eukaryotic cell, genes encoding proteins involved in the metabolism of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been transferred from the endosymbiont into the host genome. Mitochondrial singlestranded DNAbinding (mtSSB) proteins serve as an excellent argument supporting this aspect of the endosymbiotic theory. The crystal structure of the human mtSSB, together with an abundance of biochemical and genetic data, revealed several exciting features of mtSSB proteins and enabled a detailed comparison with their prokaryotic counterparts. Moreover, identification of a novel member of the mtSSB family, mitochondrial telomerebinding protein of the yeast Candida parapsilosis, has raised interesting questions regarding mtDNA metabolism and evolution.