My path to citrin deficiency

Citrin belongs to the SLC25 transport protein family found mostly in inner mitochondrial membranes. The family prototype, the ADP-ATP carrier, delivers ATP made inside mitochondria to the cellular cytoplasm and returns ADP to the mitochondrion for resynthesis of ATP. In pre-genomic 1981, I noticed that the protein sequence of the bovine ADP-ATP carrier consists of three related sequences, each containing two transmembrane α-helices traveling in opposite senses. Colleagues and I demonstrated that two other mitochondrial carriers had similar features. From emergent genomic sequences, it became apparent that they represented a large family of transport proteins with the same characteristic threefold repeats. The human genome encodes 53 members, but the functions of many were unknown. So, colleagues and I determined how to make these proteins in Escherichia coli and introduce them into liposomes to allow exploration of their transport functions. The 27 human family members to have been thus identified include citrin and the closely related protein aralar. Both exchange aspartate from the mitochondrial matrix for cytosolic glutamate plus a proton. Citrin is expressed predominantly in liver and non-excitable tissues, whereas aralar is the dominant form in the brain. Each has a membrane extrinsic N-terminal Ca²⁺-binding domain, a transport domain, and a C-terminal amphipathic α-helix. Human mutations in citrin impair the urea cycle, malate-aspartate shuttle, gluconeogenesis, amino acid breakdown, and energy metabolism leading to citrin deficiency. Currently, the complex etiology of this condition is poorly understood and new knowledge would help to improve diagnosis, therapies, and finding a cure. My aims are to seek a basic understanding of the etiology of citrin deficiency and to use that knowledge in improving diagnostic procedures and in developing new treatments and a cure.