Mitochondrial import inner membrane translocase subunit Tim8 A (TIMM8A)

Mitochondrial intermembrane chaperone that engages in the import and insertion of some multi-pass transmembrane proteins to the mitochondrial inner membrane. Also required for the transfer of beta-barrel precursors in the TOM complex to the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM complex) of the outer membrane.

Acts as a chaperone-like protein that protects the hydrophobic precursors from aggregation and direct them through the mitochondrial intermembrane space. The TIMM8-TIMM13 complex mediates the import of proteins like TIMM23, SLC25A12/ARALAR1 and SLC25A13/ARALAR2, while the overriding TIMM9-TIMM10 70 kDa complex mediates the import of much more proteins.