YCF45 protein, usually associated with plastids, is targeted into the mitochondrion of Trypanosoma brucei.
YCF45 belongs to a family of proteins of unknown function usually located in the chloroplast of plants. Its highly conserved homologues were found in the genomes of several Trypanosoma and Leishmania species. HA(3)-tagging of the YCF45 protein with the start codon as annotated in the Gene(DB) revealed its cytosolic localization in the cultured procyclic stage of Trypanosoma brucei. However, when a more upstream located start codon was used in another HA(3)-tagged construct, the resulting protein was targeted to the mitochondrion. We propose that YCF45 was acquired by an ancestral trypanosomatid by horizontal gene transfer and in the absence of a plastid was re-targeted to the mitochondrion.
Týc
Jirí
J
Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, University of South Bohemia, Ceské Budejovice, Budweis, Czech Republic.
Long
Shaojun
S
Jirků
Milan
M
Lukes
Julius
J
D002460:Cell Line; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D018087:Plastids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D015800:Protozoan Proteins