Intracellular trafficking of mRNAs and localized protein synthesis are fundamental mechanisms for controlling protein localization. Recent data have revealed selective translation of mRNAs at the surface of mitochondria. Indeed, one-third of mRNAs coding for nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins were found at the surface of plant mitochondria.
In a study published in The Plant Journal, scientists from Anne-Marie Duchêne‘s team showed that FRIENDLY (FMT) is the first plant RNA-binding protein identified to participate in the localization of mRNAs and their translation at the surface of mitochondria.
