RESEARCH ARTICLE Function of hTim8a in complex IV assembly in neuronal cells provides insight into pathomechanism underlying Mohr-Tranebjærg syndrome Yilin Kang1,2, Alexander J Anderson1,2, Thomas Daniel Jackson1,2, Catherine S Palmer1,2, David P De Souza3, Kenji M Fujihara4,5, Tegan Stait6,7, Ann E Frazier6,7, Nicholas J Clemons4,5, Deidreia Tull3, David R Thorburn6,7,8, Malcolm J McConville3, Michael T Ryan9, David A Stroud1,2, Diana Stojanovski1,2* 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; 2The Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; 3Metabolomics Australia, The Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; 4Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia; 5Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; 6Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; 7Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; 8Victorian Clinical Genetic Services, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; 9Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Abstract Human Tim8a and Tim8b are members of an intermembrane space chaperone network, known as the small TIM family. Mutations in TIMM8A cause a neurodegenerative disease, *For correspondence: Mohr-Tranebjærg syndrome (MTS), which is characterised by sensorineural hearing loss, dystonia
[email protected] and blindness. Nothing is known about the function of hTim8a in neuronal cells or how mutation of Competing interests: The this protein leads to a neurodegenerative disease. We show that hTim8a is required for the authors declare that no assembly of Complex IV in neurons, which is mediated through a transient interaction with competing interests exist.