Mitochondrial Copper in Yeast
Yeast is a powerful system to define the components of mitochondrial copper homeostasis. We are using traditional genetic strategies, synthetic genetic arrays and biochemical analysis of mitochondria to determine the regulation and maintenance of copper in the matrix.
Major Questions are:
1) How do cells maintain matrix copper?
2) How is copper recruited to mitochondria?
3) What are the accessory proteins required for handling mitochondrial copper?
4) How do small molecules contribute to mitochondrial copper?
5) Role of protein complexes in mitochondrial copper homeostasis?
Selected publications on Yeast Mitochondrial Copper Homeostasis
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Vest KE, Wang J, Gammon MG, Maynard MK, White OL, Cobine JA, Mahone WK, Cobine PA. Overlap of copper and iron uptake systems in mitochondria in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Open Biol. 2016 Jan;6(1):150223. PubMed PMID: 26763345; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4736827.
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Vest KE, Leary SC, Winge DR, Cobine PA. Copper import into the mitochondrial matrix in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mediated by Pic2, a mitochondrial carrier family protein. J Biol Chem. 2013 Aug 16;288(33):23884-92. PubMed PMID: 23846699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3745335.
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Cobine PA, Pierrel F, Bestwick ML, Winge DR. Mitochondrial matrix copper complex used in metallation of cytochrome oxidase and superoxide dismutase. J Biol Chem. 2006 Dec 1;281(48):36552-9. PubMed PMID: 17008312.
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