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Mechanism and Regulation of Mitochondrial Transcription in Animal Cells

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Organelle Genetics

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Abstract

The mechanism of mitochondrial transcription and its apparatus have been investigated in different types of animal cells. While transcription mechanisms are different, due probably to the variation in gene organization among metazoans, the mitochondrial transcription apparatus is substantially conserved. The core mitochondrial transcription machinery is a three-member complex made of RNA polymerase (mtRNAP) and factors TFAM and TFB2M. Other factors, such as the proteins of the mTERF family, participate in this process. The transcription termination factor MTERF1 may also contribute to DNA melting during transcription initiation. MTERF2 and MTERF3 appear to modulate mitochondrial transcription by interacting simultaneously or separately with the core transcription apparatus. Several aspects of mitochondrial transcription need further investigation. These include the mechanisms responsible for the choice of the different initiation sites, the role of auxiliary factors in mitochondrial transcription, and the mechanism of stabilization of mitochondrial RNAs in response to different cell requirements and physiological conditions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from University of Bari, Progetto di Ricerca di Ateneo, COFIN-PRIN 2008, and Telethon-Italy (Grant GGP06233). The authors would like to thank F. Fracasso for his precious assistance in preparing the figures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare “Ernesto Quagliariello”, Università degli Studi di Bari, Via Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italia

    Paola Loguercio Polosa, Marina Roberti & Palmiro Cantatore

  2. Istituto di Biomembrane e Bioenergetica, CNR, Via Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italia

    Palmiro Cantatore

Authors
  1. Paola Loguercio Polosa
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  2. Marina Roberti
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  3. Palmiro Cantatore
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Palmiro Cantatore .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Mount Allison University, York Street 63B, Sackville, E4L 1G7, New Brunswick, Canada

    Charles E. Bullerwell

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Polosa, P.L., Roberti, M., Cantatore, P. (2012). Mechanism and Regulation of Mitochondrial Transcription in Animal Cells. In: Bullerwell, C. (eds) Organelle Genetics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22380-8_11

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