Acetylation and level of mitochondrial transcription factor A in several organs of young and old rats

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 Jan 31;301(1):187-91. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(02)03008-5.

Abstract

To gain further information on the role of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in mitochondrial biogenesis, we studied the post-translational modifications of the protein in 6- and 28-month-old rat liver. Mass spectrometry and immunoblot analysis revealed that TFAM was acetylated at a single lysine residue and that the level of acetylation did not change with age. The measurement of the content of TFAM and of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in several organs (cerebellum, heart, kidney, and liver) of young and old rats showed an age-related increase of mtDNA and TFAM in all the organs analyzed, except in heart. These data are discussed in the light of the multiple roles of TFAM in mitochondrial biogenesis and of the age-related change of the mitochondrial transcription.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Aging / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Cerebellum / physiology
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins*
  • Heart / physiology
  • Kidney / physiology
  • Liver / physiology
  • Male
  • Mitochondria / metabolism*
  • Mitochondrial Proteins*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Tfam protein, rat
  • Transcription Factors
  • mitochondrial transcription factor A