Abstract 2317 Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A (TFAM) is susceptible to oxidation, leading to a decrease in DNA binding affinity

Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell due to their production of energy through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). OXPHOS also produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage the unique mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and its unique set of maintenance proteins. Improper maintenance of mtDNA can lead to DNA mutations, depletions, and deletions that cause diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, and premature ageing. One key mtDNA maintenance protein is mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), which is the most abundant double-strand DNA binding protein in mitochondria.