Common functions of the chloroplast and mitochondrial co-chaperones cpDnaJL (CDF1) and mtDnaJ (PAM16) in protein import and ROS scavenging in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Main Authors: John Gray, Sachin Rustgi, Diter von Wettstein, Christiane Reinbothe, Steffen Reinbothe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2016-09-01
• Series: Communicative & Integrative Biology
• Subjects: CDF1 (cell growth defect factor 1); DnaJ-like co-chaperones (holdases); mitochondria and chloroplasts; organelle biogenesis; PAM (presequence translocase-associated protein import motor); ROS (reactive oxygen species)
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19420889.2015.1119343

As semi-autonomous cell organelles that contain only limited coding information in their own DNA, chloroplasts and mitochondria must import the vast majority of their protein constituents from the cytosol. Respective protein import machineries have been identified that mediate the uptake of chloroplast and mitochondrial proteins and interact with molecular chaperones of the HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN (HSP) 70 family operating as import motors. Recent work identified unexpected new functions of 2 DnaJ co-chaperones in mitochondrial and chloroplast protein translocation and suggest a common mechanism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging that shall be discussed here.