title: YCF45 protein, usually associated with plastids, is targeted into the mitochondrion of Trypanosoma brucei.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, University of South Bohemia, Ceské Budejovice, Budweis, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jirí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Týc
authors.forename: Shaojun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jirků
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukes
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins