Mitochondrial protein import: convergent solutions for receptor structure.
Complex machinery has evolved to recognise and import nuclear-encoded proteins into mitochondria. Recent work now shows that the plant Tom20 mitochondrial protein import receptor has a similar tertiary structure to animal Tom20, although the proteins are evolutionarily distinct, representing an elegant example of convergent evolution.
ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, MCS Building M310, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia. seamus@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Ryan
R
Lister
James
J
Whelan
D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000378:metabolism*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D021381:Protein Transport
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins