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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

An Improved Method to Isolate Mitochondrial Contact Sites
Published on: June 16, 2023
Mitochondrial histone-like DNA-binding proteins are essential for normal cell growth and mitochondrial function in
Nuraly K Avliyakulov1, Julius Lukes, Dan S Ray
1Molecular Biology Institute University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1570, USA.
Abstract:
The Crithidia fasciculata KAP2 and KAP3 proteins are closely related kinetoplast-specific histone-like DNA-binding proteins. The KAP2 and KAP3 genes are 46% identical and are arranged in tandem on the chromosomal DNA. Disruption of both alleles of either gene alone shows no detectable phenotype. However, replacement of both copies of the sequence encoding the entire KAP2 and KAP3 locus increases maxicircle mRNA levels two- to fourfold. These double-knockout cells are viable but grow extremely slowly, have reduced respiration and very abnormal cell morphologies, and accumulate numerous large vacuoles. The extreme phenotype of these mutant cells suggests an important role for the KAP2 and KAP3 proteins in mitochondrial metabolism and cell growth.
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