Mitochondrial Transcription Termination Factor 4 (MTERF4)

MTERFD2, Belongs to the mTERF family. mTERF1 (mTERF) and mTERF2 (mTERFD3) are 2 groups present only in vertebrates, whereas mTERF3 (mTERFD1) and mTERF4 (mTERFD2) genes are encountered not only in vertebrates but also in worms and insects. mTERF1 (mTERF) group contains the previously characterized mTERF protein, whereas mTERF2 contains the mouse mTERFD3 gene characterized in this work. The characterization of mTERF family members is just emerging so that few reports about the function of mTERF like proteins are available. mtDBP has also a negative regulatory role in mtDNA synthesis since it inhibits a replicative helicase in Paracentrotus lividus. mTERF homologue in Drosophila melanogaster (DmTTF) binds mtDNA in two noncoding regions and was proposed to stop transcription.