Cytochrome C Oxidase Assembly Protein 15 (COX15)

COX15 is predicted to contain 5 transmembrane domains localized in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Alternative splicing of this gene generates two transcript variants diverging in the 3""" region.The amino acid sequences of both isoforms are 42% identical to that of yeast cox15. Sequence analysis indicated that COX15 contains a mitochondrial leader peptide and 5 transmembrane domains. Using in vitro mitochondrial import and trypsin-protection assays, the authors demonstrated that the COX15 protein is targeted to mitochondria. Northern blot analysis revealed that COX15 is expressed as 1.5-, 1.8-, and 3-kb mRNAs predominantly in tissues characterized by high rates of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), including muscle, heart, and brain.