Bcs1, a novel target for fungicide

The mitochondrial respiratory chain has long been a primary target for the development of fungicides for its indispensable role in various cellular functions including energy metabolism. Over the years, a wide range of natural and synthetic fungicides and pesticides targeting the respiratory chain complexes have been discovered or developed and used in agriculture and in medicine, which brought considerable economic gains but was also accompanied by the emergence of resistance to these compounds. To delay and overcome the onset of resistance, novel targets for fungicides development are actively being pursued. Mitochondrial AAA protein Bcs1 is necessary for the biogenesis of respiratory chain Complex III, also known as cyt bc (1) complex, by delivering the last essential iron-sulfur protein subunit in its folded form to the cyt bc (1) precomplex. Although no report on the phenotypes of knock-out Bcs1 has been reported in animals, pathogenic Bcs1 mutations cause Complex III deficiency and respiratory growth defects, which makes it a promising new target for the development of fungicides. Recent Cryo-EM and X-ray structures of mouse and yeast Bcs1 revealed the basic oligomeric states of Bcs1, shed light on the translocation mechanism of its substrate ISP, and provided the basis for structure-based drug design. This review summarizes the recent progress made on understanding the structure and function of Bcs1, proposes the use of Bcs1 as an antifungal target, and provides novel prospects for fungicides design by targeting Bcs1.