Lineage-specific innovations expand mitochondrial proteomes in kinetoplastids.

Kinetoplastids have lineage-specific mitochondrial innovations, expanding their proteomes with 124 previously unrecognized proteins, including ten kDNA-encoded components.

• Why it matters: Understanding mitochondrial diversity in kinetoplastids is crucial because their unique features influence disease processes and evolutionary adaptations, filling a gap in knowledge about mitochondrial evolution in these organisms.
• What they did: The study integrated mass spectrometry-based protein profiling with existing datasets to identify 1,666 mitochondrial proteins in T. brucei and 1,594 in L. tarentolae, revealing conserved and unique components across species and life stages.
• The result: Findings highlight extensive lineage-specific mitochondrial proteins and stage-dependent abundance changes, providing a foundation for functional studies and insights into kinetoplastid mitochondrial evolution.