Evolution of YidC/Oxa1/Alb3 insertases: three independent gene duplications followed by functional specialization in bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts

• Published in: Biological chemistry Vol. 392; no. 1-2; p. 13
• Main Authors: Funes, Soledad, Kauff, Frank, van der Sluis, Eli O, Ott, Martin, Herrmann, Johannes M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01-01-2011
• Subjects: Bacteria - enzymology; Bacteria - genetics; Chloroplasts - enzymology; Chloroplasts - genetics; Electron Transport Complex IV - genetics; Electron Transport Complex IV - metabolism; Evolution, Molecular; Gene Duplication; Membrane Transport Proteins - genetics; Membrane Transport Proteins - metabolism; Mitochondria - enzymology; Mitochondria - genetics; Mitochondrial Proteins - genetics; Mitochondrial Proteins - metabolism; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Phylogeny; Protein Folding
• ISSN: 1437-4315
• DOI: 10.1515/bc.2011.013

Members of the YidC/Oxa1/Alb3 protein family facilitate the insertion, folding and assembly of proteins of the inner membranes of bacteria and mitochondria and the thylakoid membrane of plastids. All homologs share a conserved hydrophobic core region comprising five transmembrane domains. On the basis of phylogenetic analyses, six subgroups of the family can be distinguished which presumably arose from three independent gene duplications followed by functional specialization. During evolution of bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts, subgroup-specific regions were added to the core domain to facilitate the association with ribosomes or other components contributing to the substrate spectrum of YidC/Oxa1/Alb3 proteins.