MPV17

Protein MPV17 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MPV17 gene. It is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein, which has a so far largely unknown role in mtDNA maintenance. Protein MPV17 is expressed in human pancreas, kidney, muscle, liver, lung, placenta, brain and heart. Human MPV17 is the orthologue of the mouse kidney disease gene, Mpv17. Loss of function has been shown to cause hepatocerebral mtDNA depletion syndromes (MDS) with oxidative phosphorylation failure and mtDNA depletion both in affected individuals and in Mpv17−/− mice.

Function

This protein was first thought to be a peroxisomal protein, but in 2006, Spinazzola demonstrated that it is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein that is implicated in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Restoration of Mpv17 expression in a Mpv17-/- mice restore mtDNA copy number, suggesting MPV17 is involved in mtDNA copy number, and in mtDNA maintenance.

MPV17 seems to be also involved in apoptosis in podocytes, and involved in ROS.