Gene knockout using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) reveals that human ndufa9 protein is essential for stabilizing the junction between membrane and matrix arms of complex i

Abstract

Background: Human mitochondrial complex I is composed of 44 subunits with an elaborate assembly mechanism. Results: TALENs were used to knock out complex I subunit NDUFA9 in HEK293T cells, revealing a novel membrane arm subcomplex. Conclusion: NDUFA9 is critical for stabilizing the junction between different arms of complex I. Significance: TALEN-mediated knock-out represents an accessible approach to address protein function in human cells. Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) represent a promising approach for targeted knock-out of genes in cultured human cells. We used TALEN-technology to knock out the nuclear gene encoding NDUFA9, a subunit of mitochondrial respirator..