Automated description from the Alliance of Genome Resources (Release 7.1.0)
Enables mitochondrial promoter sequence-specific DNA binding activity. Involved in mitochondrial transcription. Acts upstream of or within mitochondrial respiratory chain complex assembly. Located in mitochondrial nucleoid. Is active in mitochondrion. Is expressed in several structures, including branchial arch; central nervous system; early conceptus; genitourinary system; and hemolymphoid system. Used to study Kearns-Sayre syndrome and Parkinson's disease. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in Alzheimer's disease; Huntington's disease; Parkinson's disease; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome 15. Orthologous to human TFAM (transcription factor A, mitochondrial).