Functional characterization of drim2, the Drosophila melanogaster homolog of the yeast mitochondrial deoxynucleotide transporter.

ABSTRACT: The CG18317 gene (drim2) is the Drosophila melanogaster homolog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rim2 gene, which encodes a pyrimidine (deoxy)nucleotide carrier. Here, we tested if the drim2 gene also encodes for a deoxynucleotide transporter in the fruit fly. The protein was localized to mitochondria. Drosophila S2R(+) cells, silenced for drim2 expression, contained markedly reduced pools of both purine and pyrimidine dNTPs in mitochondria, whereas cytosolic pools were unaffected. In vivo drim2 homozygous knock-out was lethal at the larval stage, preceded by the following: (i) impaired locomotor behavior; (ii) decreased rates of oxygen consumption, and (iii) depletion of mtDNA. We conclude that the Drosophila mitochondrial carrier dRIM2 transports all DNA precursors and is essential to maintain mitochondrial function.

SUBMITTER: Da-Re C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3953259 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature