Next, the Human protein reference database (HPRD) [61] and Search Tool for the Retrieval of INteracting Genes/proteins (STRING) database [62] were utilized for detecting physical and functional associations of the resulting proteins. STRING provides a large set of known and predicted protein-protein associations by compiling experimental repositories, curated pathway database, literature-mining resources, and computational predictions. Two proteins were connected in the STRING network if they shared a substrate in a metabolic pathway, co-expressed, co-regulated, connected by protein-protein interactions, or involved in the same protein complex. We additionally identified 201 proteins, of which 82 proteins were physically associated and 119 proteins were functionally associated with the first 569 mt proteins. A total of 770 proteins were defined as reliable mt proteins.