Lineage-specific innovations expand mitochondrial proteomes in kinetoplastids
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania tarentolae are model kinetoplastids whose mitochondria contain a unique DNA network, kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), and exhibit specialized features, including developmental remodeling and RNA editing. By integrating mass spectrometry-based protein correlation profiling with published datasets, we assembled inventories of 1,666 mitochondrial proteins in T. brucei and 1,594 in L. tarentolae. These include 124 polypeptides not previously recognized as mitochondrial. Despite their phylogenetic distance, trypanosomes and leishmanias maintain highly conserved mitoproteomes, including about 700 components with no detectable homologs in other eukaryotes. Comparison of T. brucei insect and mammalian stages revealed similar mitoproteome compositions but globally reduced mitochondrial protein abundance in the latter, except for components of calcium homeostasis and the alternative oxidase pathway. We also detected ten kDNA-encoded proteins, including products of pan-edited transcripts. These inventories establish a framework for functional analysis of previously uncharacterized mitochondrial factors and illuminate innovations that have shaped kinetoplastid evolution.
Source: Molecular Cell
Authors: Andres F. Vacas, Md Solayman, Sarah E. Calvo, Khanh Nguyen, Cameron Genxuan Lian, Keith D. Rivera, Michael Z. Chen, Cora N. Betsinger, Steven A. Carr, Luke H. Chao, Felicia G. Deng, Manoj T. Duraisingh, Michelle Y. Fry, Manish Goyal, Tiana M. Issa, Minsoo Kim, Yi-Ting Liao, Bridget E. Luce, Syed Yusuf Mian, Aditya S. Paul, John C. Samuelson, Jonathan A. Stefely, Namrata D. Udeshi, Vamsi K. Mootha, Ruslan Aphasizhev, Inna Aphasizheva
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $10,400
Awards: Medical Scientist Training Program, REPEAT-CONTAINING RNA BINDING PROTEINS OF TRYPANOSOMES, TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL OF MITOCHONDRIAL GENE EXPRESSION IN TRYPANOSOMES, G9000849627, G9000850175, G9000850225, G9000851533, Mitochondrial RNA Uridylation in Trypanosomes, Guide RNA Binding Complex, Medical Scientist Training Program
OpenAlex ID: W7215028396