The core human mitochondrial transcription initiation complex

Abstract

We recently demonstrated that the core transcription initiation complex in human mitochondria is a two-component system (POLRMT and h-mtTFB2). Human mtTFA/TFAM, previously proposed to be a requisite initiation complex member, is dispensable for promoter-specific initiation in vitro. We propose that it instead regulates relative promoter activity and/or overall nucleoid transcription and replication potential.