35 Years of TFAM Research: Old Protein, New Puzzles.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Kozhukhar, Natalya Alexeyev, Mikhail F.
Editor	Roca, Pilar Oliver, Jordi Torrens-Mas, Margalida
Copyright Year	2023
Abstract	Simple SummaryTranscription Factor A Mitochondrial (TFAM) was first purified 35 years ago as an activator of mitochondrial transcription. Because of its critical contributions to mitochondrial DNA transcription and replication, this protein was viewed as a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. However, now it is clear that TFAM’s cellular role is more nuanced than previously thought. In this review, we attempted to compile and assess various, at times contradictory, lines of evidence supporting this protein’s diverse roles. It is carried out in the belief that the resolution of the existing contradictions is a prerequisite for further advancements in the field.AbstractTranscription Factor A Mitochondrial (TFAM), through its contributions to mtDNA maintenance and expression, is essential for cellular bioenergetics and, therefore, for the very survival of cells. Thirty-five years of research on TFAM structure and function generated a considerable body of experimental evidence, some of which remains to be fully reconciled. Recent advancements allowed an unprecedented glimpse into the structure of TFAM complexed with promoter DNA and TFAM within the open promoter complexes. These novel insights, however, raise new questions about the function of this remarkable protein. In our review, we compile the available literature on TFAM structure and function and provide some critical analysis of the available data.
Volume Number	12
PubMed Central reference number	PMC10295803
Issue Number	6
PubMed reference number	37372108
Journal	Biology [Biology (Basel)]
e-ISSN	20797737
DOI	10.3390/biology12060823
Language	English
Publisher	MDPI
Publisher Date	2023-06-06
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). © 2023 by the authors.
Subject Keyword	mitochondria mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) mitochondrial DNA mitochondrial DNA transcription mitochondrial DNA replication mitochondrial biogenesis mitochondrial DNA repair
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Immunology and Microbiology Agricultural and Biological Sciences Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology