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Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Rapid Isolation of the Mitoribosome from HEK Cells
Published on: October 4, 2018
Unique architectural features of mammalian mitochondrial protein synthesis
Oliver Rackham1, Martin Saurer2, Nenad Ban2
1Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, Australia; Curtin Medical School Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia; Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia; Telethon Kids Institute, Northern Entrance, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Abstract:
Mitochondria rely on coordinated expression of their own mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) with that of the nuclear genome for their biogenesis. The bacterial ancestry of mitochondria has given rise to unique and idiosyncratic features of the mtDNA and its expression machinery that can be specific to different organisms. In animals, the mitochondrial protein synthesis machinery has acquired many new components and mechanisms over evolution. These include several new ribosomal proteins, new stop codons and ways to recognise them, and new mechanisms to deliver nascent proteins into the mitochondrial inner membrane. Here we describe the mitochondrial protein synthesis machinery in mammals and its unique mechanisms of action elucidated to date and highlight the technologies poised to reveal the next generation of discoveries in mitochondrial translation.
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