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Related Concept Videos

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics02:59

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes02:19

Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes

A eukaryotic cell can have up to three different types of genetic systems: nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast. During evolution, organelles have exported many genes to the nucleus; this transfer is still ongoing in some plant species. Approximately 18% of the Arabidopsis thaliana nuclear genome is thought to be derived from the chloroplast’s cyanobacterial ancestor, and around 75% of the yeast genome derived from the mitochondria’s bacterial ancestor. This export has occurred irrespective...
Mitochondrial Protein Sorting01:39

Mitochondrial Protein Sorting

Mitochondria are double-membrane organelles of the eukaryotes involved in cellular metabolism, signaling, ATP synthesis, and programmed cell death.  Each of these processes requires specific proteins and enzymes that must be correctly sorted to the right mitochondrial subcompartment for the proper functioning of the organelle.
Most of these mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nucleus and imported to the mitochondria as unfolded or loosely folded precursors. Mitochondrial precursors...
Mitochondrial Membranes01:45

Mitochondrial Membranes

A single mitochondrion is a bean-shaped organelle enclosed by a double-membrane system. The outer membrane of mitochondria is smooth and contains many porins - the integral membrane transporters. Porins enable free diffusion of ions and small uncharged molecules through the outer mitochondrial membrane but limit the transport of molecules larger than 5000 Daltons. Further, the outer mitochondrial membrane forms a unique structure called membrane contact sites with other subcellular organelles,...
Mitochondrial Membranes01:45

Mitochondrial Membranes

A single mitochondrion is a bean-shaped organelle enclosed by a double-membrane system. The outer membrane of mitochondria is smooth and contains many porins - the integral membrane transporters. Porins enable free diffusion of ions and small uncharged molecules through the outer mitochondrial membrane but limit the transport of molecules larger than 5000 Daltons. Further, the outer mitochondrial membrane forms a unique structure called membrane contact sites with other subcellular organelles,...
Porin Insertion in the Outer Mitochondrial Membrane01:12

Porin Insertion in the Outer Mitochondrial Membrane

Porins are beta-barrel proteins translocated to the mitochondrial outer membrane through the TOM complex into the intermembrane space. Porin precursors bind TIM chaperones within the intermembrane space and are guided to the Sorting and Assembly Machinery complex or SAM complex on the outer mitochondrial membrane.
Three models describe the assembly of porins by the SAM complex and their insertion into the outer membrane. Model 1 suggests that porins are assembled outside the SAM channel as the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Specific Labeling of Mitochondrial Nucleoids for Time-lapse Structured Illumination Microscopy
07:53

Specific Labeling of Mitochondrial Nucleoids for Time-lapse Structured Illumination Microscopy

Published on: June 4, 2020

Evolutionary tinkering with mitochondrial nucleoids.

Martin Kucej1, Ronald A Butow

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA. martin.kucej@utsouthwestern.edu

Trends in Cell Biology
|November 6, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is packaged into nucleoprotein particles called nucleoids. Unique sets of proteins in these nucleoids suggest evolutionary adaptation during mitochondrial genome development.

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Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Specific Labeling of Mitochondrial Nucleoids for Time-lapse Structured Illumination Microscopy
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Area of Science:

  • Mitochondrial biology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary biology

Background:

  • Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is organized into nucleoprotein particles known as nucleoids.
  • Each nucleoid may contain multiple copies of the mitochondrial genome and various proteins.
  • Some proteins, like high mobility group (HMG) box proteins, are crucial for mtDNA maintenance and packaging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the composition and evolutionary origins of mitochondrial nucleoid-associated proteins.
  • To understand the role of these proteins in mtDNA organization and function.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of nucleoid-associated proteins.
  • Comparative genomics to study protein origins.
  • Bioinformatic analysis of protein families.

Main Results:

  • Identified various proteins within mtDNA nucleoids, including HMG box proteins and bifunctional proteins (e.g., Aco1, IIv5).
  • HMG box proteins involved in mtDNA packaging are of eukaryotic origin.
  • Organisms exhibit unique sets of nucleoid-associated proteins.

Conclusions:

  • Mitochondrial nucleoprotein organization has undergone evolutionary refinement.
  • The diversity of nucleoid-associated proteins reflects unique evolutionary paths in different organisms.
  • Bifunctional proteins highlight the integration of metabolic and structural roles within mitochondria.