Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 21, 2025

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis
09:37

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis

Published on: July 12, 2022

3.8K

Peptides derived from small mitochondrial open reading frames: Genomic, biological, and therapeutic implications

Brendan Miller1, Su-Jeong Kim1, Hiroshi Kumagai2

  • 1Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Experimental Cell Research
|May 11, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) are new microproteins impacting cell metabolism and disease. Research highlights their therapeutic potential and suggests many more MDPs await discovery.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) are emerging bioactive microproteins influencing cellular metabolism.
  • Eight MDPs, including humanin and MOTS-c, are known to mitigate pathologies in diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, and diabetes.
  • The genetic variations within MDPs and their disease associations remain largely uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of MDPs.
  • To emphasize the biological and therapeutic implications of MDPs.
  • To highlight the potential for discovering novel MDPs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on MDPs.
  • Analysis of known MDP functions and associated genetic variations.
  • Discussion of potential roles in metabolic regulation and disease.

Main Results:

  • Characterized MDPs demonstrate disease-attenuating effects across various conditions.
  • Genetic polymorphisms in humanin and MOTS-c are linked to cognitive decline and diabetes.
  • Hundreds of undiscovered MDPs may exist, potentially explaining metabolic mysteries.

Conclusions:

  • MDPs represent a significant class of microproteins with broad biological and therapeutic relevance.
  • Further research into MDPs, including genetic associations and novel discoveries, is warranted.
  • MDPs hold promise for addressing unmet needs in metabolic and age-related diseases.
Keywords:
MicroproteinsMitochondrial-derived peptidesSmall open reading frames

More Related Videos

Subcellular Fractionation for ERK Activation Upon Mitochondrial-derived Peptide Treatment07:55

Subcellular Fractionation for ERK Activation Upon Mitochondrial-derived Peptide Treatment

Published on: September 25, 2017

8.2K
Development of a Backbone Cyclic Peptide Library as Potential Antiparasitic Therapeutics Using Microwave Irradiation08:48

Development of a Backbone Cyclic Peptide Library as Potential Antiparasitic Therapeutics Using Microwave Irradiation

Published on: January 26, 2016

12.3K

Related Concept Videos

Mitochondrial Precursor Proteins01:39

Mitochondrial Precursor Proteins

Mitochondrial precursors are partially unfolded or loosely folded polypeptide chains. Newly synthesized precursors are inhibited from spontaneously folding into their native conformation by the cytosolic chaperones, heat shock proteins 70 (Hsp70), and mitochondrial import stimulation factors (MSFs). Precursors bound to MSFs are guided to the TOM70-TOM37 receptors, while precursors bound to Hsp70  chaperones are targetted to TOM20-TOM22 receptor complexes.
Most of the mitochondrial...
3.4K
Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria01:19

Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria

Mitochondrial precursors are translocated to the internal subcompartments via independent mechanisms involving distinct protein machineries called translocases.
Sorting of outer membrane proteins:
Mitochondrial outer membrane proteins are of two types: the transmembrane, beta-barrel porins, and the membrane-anchored, alpha-helical proteins. Beta-barrel porin precursors are translocated by the TOM complex and inserted into the outer mitochondrial membrane by the SAM complex. In contrast,...
11.6K
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...
5.5K
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...
4.2K
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...
8.8K
Structure of Porins01:21

Structure of Porins

Mitochondria, chloroplasts, and gram-negative bacteria have transmembrane, beta-barrel proteins called porins to mediate the free diffusion of ions and metabolites across the membrane. Mitochondrial porin precursors contain conserved amino acid sequences called beta signals at their C-terminal. Beta signals have a  motif of PoXGXXHyXHy (Po-Polar, X-Any amino acid, G-Glycine, Hy-LargeHydrophobic), which are crucial for precursor recognition to initiate precursor assembly. Beta-barrel...
3.7K