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Probing variation in cytochrome c biogenesis pathways

Reference	BB/C508118/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Stuart John Ferguson
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr James Allen, Professor Michael Ginger
Institution	University of Oxford
Department	Biochemistry
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	223,650
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/10/2004
End date	30/09/2008
Duration	48 months

Abstract

The c-type cytochromes, distinguished by the covalent binding of heme to the polypeptide via thioether bonds, require a post-translational apparatus for their assembly in the cell. Although there are three known systems for this, System I (occurring in Gram-negative bacteria and plant mitochondria), System II (occurring in Gram-positive bacteria and photosynthetic organelles) and System III (occurring in fungal and mammalian mitochondria), we have surprisingly failed to find any sign of these systems in the recently completed genome sequences of five trypanosomatid species. This implies that there is a System IV, a view that correlates intriguingly with the fact that in this class of organism the heme is, uniquely, attached to the polypeptide via just one thioether bond rather than the normal two. A multi-disciplinary approach will be applied to identifying the biosynthesis apparatus for c-type cytochromes in trypanosomes. We will also study the consequences of the absence of one thioether bond in these kinetoplast c-type cytochromes. In parallel, we will study the features in the apocytochromes c that are recognised by Systems I and III.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	Microbiology, Structural Biology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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