Friedreich ataxia is a genetic disease caused by deficiencies in frataxin. This protein has homologs not only in higher eukaryotes but also in bacteria, fungi, and plants. The function of this protein is still controversial. We have identified a frataxin homolog in fission yeast, and we have analyzed whether its depletion leads to any of the phenotypes observed in other organisms.

Read More: Cells Lacking Pfh1, a Fission Yeast Homolog of Mammalian Frataxin, Display Constitutive Activation of the Iron Starvation Response