12S rRNA N(4)-cytidine methyltransferase (METTL15)

METTL15 is an N4-methylcytidine (m^4^C) methyltransferase responsible for the methylation of position C839 in mitochondrial 12S rRNA. It plays a crucial role in mitochondrial ribosome assembly and translation, affecting oxidative phosphorylation performance. Despite its methyltransferase activity, METTL15 primarily functions as an assembly factor, guiding the biogenesis of the mitochondrial small subunit ribosome. While METTL15's catalytic activity is not essential for its role in mitoribosome biogenesis, its presence is crucial for mitochondrial function. The enzyme is structurally related to bacterial RsmH and interacts with mitochondrial ribosome-binding factor RBFA, facilitating a conformational change necessary for ribosome assembly.

Other names

12S rRNA m^4^C methyltransferaseMethyltransferase 5 domain-containing protein 1Methyltransferase-like protein 15METT5D1

Modulation of mitochondrial translation and ribosome assembly