Acquisition of hydrogenosomal presequences: examples from Trichomonas vaginalis

Abstract

Presequences play an important role in protein import into mitochondria-like organelles. Acquisition pathways have been revealed for some mitochondrial presequences, but little is known about hydrogenosomal presequences. Here we investigated the hydrogenosomal proteins of Trichomonas vaginalis and suggest that several hydrogenosomal presequences probably evolved from pre-existing sequences that were thereafter modified.