Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Multiplex PCR Assay for Typing of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome Mec Types I to V in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
09:03

Multiplex PCR Assay for Typing of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome Mec Types I to V in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Published on: September 5, 2013

cDNAs from Onchocerca sp. encoding members of the MRS3/MRS4 class of mitochondrial solute carriers

J Catmull1, D J Miller

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, Australia.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|July 25, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified a new class of mitochondrial proteins in parasitic nematodes, Onchocerca volvulus and Onchocerca gibsoni. These proteins are likely involved in transporting small ions across mitochondrial membranes.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Mitochondrial solute carrier (MSC) proteins are crucial for metabolite transport.
  • The MRS3/MRS4 subfamily of MSC proteins is known in yeast and other model organisms.
  • Parasitic nematodes like Onchocerca present unique biological challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize novel mitochondrial solute carrier proteins in parasitic nematodes.
  • To investigate the evolutionary relationship of these nematode proteins to known MSC families.
  • To infer the potential function and substrate specificity of the newly identified proteins.

Main Methods:

  • cDNA cloning from Onchocerca volvulus and Onchocerca gibsoni.
  • Bioinformatic analysis including sequence identity comparisons with Caenorhabditis elegans proteins.
  • Analysis of protein features such as cysteine content and overall charge.

Main Results:

  • cDNA clones from O. volvulus and O. gibsoni encode homologs of yeast MRS3 and MRS4 proteins.
  • These nematode proteins, along with an uncharacterized Caenorhabditis elegans ORF, represent a new class within the mitochondrial solute carrier superfamily.
  • Sequence comparisons revealed lower identity to other known C. elegans MSC proteins.
  • Analysis suggests these nematode proteins likely transport small ions.

Conclusions:

  • A novel class of mitochondrial solute carrier proteins has been identified in parasitic nematodes.
  • These proteins are distinct from previously characterized members of the superfamily in model organisms.
  • The structural and sequence characteristics suggest a role in the transport of small ions, potentially critical for nematode survival.

More Related Videos

MS2-Affinity Purification Coupled with RNA Sequencing in Gram-Positive Bacteria08:34

MS2-Affinity Purification Coupled with RNA Sequencing in Gram-Positive Bacteria

Published on: February 23, 2021

A Highly Scalable Approach to Perform Ecological Surveys of Selfing Caenorhabditis Nematodes09:10

A Highly Scalable Approach to Perform Ecological Surveys of Selfing Caenorhabditis Nematodes

Published on: March 1, 2022

Related Concept Videos

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...
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,...
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...
Protein Transport into the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane01:34

Protein Transport into the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane

Nuclear encoded mitochondrial precursors are imported to the inner membrane in a multistep process involving two separate translocons, TIM22 and TIM23. TIM23 is a cation-selective pore that remains closed by the N terminal segment of the protein. Negative charges on the TIM23 act as a receptor for the incoming precursor, pulling the positively charged matrix-targeting sequence for peptide insertion and translocation.
Transport of mitochondrial precursors across the TIM23 channel is driven by...
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...