The Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Interacts with Subunit c of the ATP Synthase of Trypanosomes and Humans
Guozhong Huang, Roberto Docampo
Abstract
The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is essential for the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation in mammalian cells, and we have shown that in Trypanosoma brucei , the etiologic agent of sleeping sickness, this channel is essential for its survival and infectivity. Here we reveal that that Trypanosoma brucei MCU subunits interact with subunit c of the mitochondrial ATP synthase (ATPc). Interestingly, the direct physical MCU-ATPc interaction is conserved in T. cruzi and human cells.
Topics & Concepts
Trypanosoma bruceiProtein subunitMitochondrionATP synthaseCell biologyUniporterBiologyOxidative phosphorylationPhosphorylationTrypanosoma cruziInfectivityTrypanosoma evansiBiochemistryVirologyEnzymeGeneTrypanosomiasisCytosolWorld Wide WebVirusParasite hostingComputer scienceTrypanosoma species research and implicationsMitochondrial Function and PathologyATP Synthase and ATPases Research