Roads diverged in a wood: Proteins and RNAs encoded by cytochrome b (CYTB) gene in health and disease

Abstract

Background: The cytochrome b (CYTB) gene, a crucial component of the mitochondrial genome, plays a multifaceted role in cellular metabolism, energy production and various biological processes.

Main body: It is well known that the CYTB gene encodes a subunit of complex III in the electron transport chain, which is vital for the oxidative phosphorylation process and ATP generation. Various studies report that the CYTB gene not only encodes a core protein in the mitochondrial respiratory chain but also produces a long non-coding RNA called lncCYTB, which participates in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Inspiringly, a study has recently revealed that the CYTB gene also encodes a novel 187 amino acid long polypeptide, CYTB-187AA, a mitochondrial DNA-encoded protein produced by cytosolic translation and important for early mammalian development.

Conclusion: This review will provide insight into the functional and expression properties of the CYTB gene, as well as its unique non-coding RNA signature, and describe the diseases associated with the CYTB gene, ranging from mitochondrial dysfunction to more complex genetic disorders.

Keywords

CYTB-187AA / cytochrome b / disease / long non-coding RNA / mitochondria

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2025 The Author(s). Clinical and Translational Discovery published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics.