MTERF3, the most conserved member of the mTERF-family, is a modular factor involved in mitochondrial protein synthesis.
The MTERF-family is a wide family of proteins identified in Metazoa and plants which includes the known mitochondrial transcription termination factors. With the aim to shed light on the function of MTERF-family members in Drosophila, we performed the cloning and characterization of D-MTERF3, a component of the most conserved group of this family. D-MTERF3 is a mitochondrial protein of 323 amino acids. Sequence analysis in seven different organisms showed that the protein contains five conserved "mTERF-motifs", three of which include a leucine zipper-like domain. D-MTERF3 knock-down, obtained by RNAi in D.Mel-2 cells, did not affect mitochondrial replication and transcription. On the contrary, it decreased to a variable extent the rate of labelling of about half of the mitochondrial polypeptides, with ND1 being the most affected by D-MTERF3 depletion. These results indicate that D-MTERF3 is involved in mitochondrial translation. This role, likely based on protein-protein interactions, may be exerted either through a direct interaction with the translation machinery or by bridging the mitochondrial transcription and translation apparatus.
Roberti
Marina
M
Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare Ernesto Quagliariello, Università di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy.
Bruni
Francesco
F
Loguercio Polosa
Paola
P
Manzari
Caterina
C
Gadaleta
Maria Nicola
MN
Cantatore
Palmiro
P
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D016415:Sequence Alignment
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C515228:MTERF3 protein, Drosophila; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012313:RNA