[ATAD3, a vital membrane-bound mitochondrial ATPase involved in tumor progression]

ATAD3 (ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 3) is a mitochondrial membrane bound ATPase whose function has not yet been discovered but its role is essential for the embryonic development. The ATAD3 gene exists since the pluri-cellular organisms with specialized tissues and remains unique until vertebrates. In primates and humans, two other genes have appeared (called ATAD3B and ATAD3C versus ATAD3A the ancestral gene). ATAD3 knock down in different non-transformed cell lines is associated with drastic changes in the mitochondrial network, inhibition of proliferation and modification of the functional interactions between mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. However, the analysis of the functions of ATAD3A and ATAD3B in different human cancer cell lines shows on the contrary that they can have anti-proliferative effects and induce chemoresistant properties. ATAD3 may therefore be implicated in an unknown but essential and growth-linked mitochondrial function existing since pluri-cellular -organization and involved in tumorigenesis.