Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins and phylogenesis - UCP4 as the ancestral uncoupling protein

作者：Hanak P; Jezek P^*

来源：FEBS Letters, 2001, 495(3): 137-141.

DOI：10.1016/S0014-5793(01)02338-9

• phylogenesis of mitochondrial uncoupling
• protein
• specific sequence motif
• Drosophila melanogaster
• Caenorhabditis elegans
• Dictyostelium discoideum
• Arabidopsis thaliana

We searched for the previously defined uncoupling protein (UCP) signatures [Jezek, P, and Urbankova, E, (2000) IUBMB Life 49, 63-70] in genomes of Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Dictyostelium discoideum, and Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified four UCPs in Drosophila and one in Caenorhabditis or Dictyostelium as close relatives of human UCP4 (BMCP), but distant from UCP1, UCP2, UCP3, and two plant UCPs of Arabidopsis. But the third Arabidopsis UCP is the closest UCP4 relative. This suggests that UCP3 represents the ancestral UCP from which other mammalian and plant UCPs diverged. Speculations on UCP4 participation in apoptosis are thus supported by its early phylogenetic occurrence.

• 出版日期2001-4-27