title: Mitochondrial histone-like DNA-binding proteins are essential for normal cell growth and mitochondrial function in Crithidia fasciculata.
abstract: The Crithidia fasciculata KAP2 and KAP3 proteins are closely related kinetoplast-specific histone-like DNA-binding proteins. The KAP2 and KAP3 genes are 46% identical and are arranged in tandem on the chromosomal DNA. Disruption of both alleles of either gene alone shows no detectable phenotype. However, replacement of both copies of the sequence encoding the entire KAP2 and KAP3 locus increases maxicircle mRNA levels two- to fourfold. These double-knockout cells are viable but grow extremely slowly, have reduced respiration and very abnormal cell morphologies, and accumulate numerous large vacuoles. The extreme phenotype of these mutant cells suggests an important role for the KAP2 and KAP3 proteins in mitochondrial metabolism and cell growth.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Institute University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1570, USA.
authors.forename: Nuraly K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Avliyakulov
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukes
authors.forename: Dan S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016831:Crithidia fasciculata / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017125:Genes, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006657:Histones; C097692:KAP2 protein, Crithidia fasciculata; C097693:KAP3 protein, Crithidia fasciculata; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins