Study of mitochondrial translation factors

Abstract

Our laboratory studies the mitochondrial biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the last years we have characterized new factors involved in mitochondrial translation such as bL34, Msc6p and Aep3p. Here our first aim is to discriminate Msc6p function, with the identification of genetic interactors, proteins that interact with Msc6p as well as to identify the putative associated RNAs. In parallel we have studied the assembly of the large subunit of mitoribosome through conditional alleles obtained from bL34-encoded gene. Now we would like to continue these studies evaluating the importance of protein extensions present in mitoribosomes proteins but absent in their counterpart homologous in bacteria. Protein extensions present in 21 genes necessary for the biogenesis of the large (54S) subunit of the mitoribosome will be study. Finally we propose to modulate the mitochondrial magnesium content by genetic changes and its consequences in the mitoribosome biogenesis. (AU)