Structural Basis of Mitochondrial Transcription Initiation

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009286741731262X?via%3Dihub

Hauke S.Hillen, Yaroslav I.Morozov, Azadeh Sarfallah, Dmitry Temiakov, Patrick Cramer

• Transcription of the mitochondrial DNA is a critical aspect of understanding mitochondrial physiology. Not only is this linked to the generation of protein, as per nuclear transcription, there is also a link with the actual replication of mtDNA. Many molecular players are involved in both of these processes. Yet, mitochondrial transcription is not well understood in its details.
• The authors report crystal structures of the protein responsible for mtDNA transcription (mtRNAP) when attached to mtDNA.
• TFAM tethers to mtRNAP to recruit the protein to the mtDNA promoter site.
• TFB2M induces structural changes in mtRNAP to enable it to open mtDNA