The role of contact sites between inner and outer mitochondrial membrane in energy transfer

1990 ◽  
Vol 1018 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 229-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaas Nicolay ◽  
Manuel Rojo ◽  
Theo Wallimann ◽  
Rudy Demel ◽  
Ruud Hovius
2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (14) ◽  
pp. 8909-8919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Billy T. Dye ◽  
David J. Miller ◽  
Paul Ahlquist

ABSTRACT Flock house virus (FHV) is the best-characterized member of the Nodaviridae, a family of small, positive-strand RNA viruses. Unlike most RNA viruses, FHV encodes only a single polypeptide, protein A, that is required for RNA replication. Protein A contains a C-proximal RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain and localizes via an N-terminal transmembrane domain to the outer mitochondrial membrane, where FHV RNA replication takes place in association with invaginations referred to as spherules. We demonstrate here that protein A self-interacts in vivo by using flow cytometric analysis of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), spectrofluorometric analysis of bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, and coimmunoprecipitation. Several nonoverlapping protein A sequences were able to independently direct protein-protein interaction, including an N-terminal region previously shown to be sufficient for localization to the outer mitochondrial membrane (D. J. Miller and P. Ahlquist, J. Virol. 76:9856-9867, 2000). Mutations in protein A that diminished FRET also diminished FHV RNA replication, a finding consistent with an important role for protein A self-interaction in FHV RNA synthesis. Thus, the results imply that FHV protein A functions as a multimer rather than as a monomer at one or more steps in RNA replication.


2005 ◽  
Vol 171 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doron Rapaport

A multisubunit translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOM complex) mediates both the import of mitochondrial precursor proteins into the internal compartments of the organelle and the insertion of proteins residing in the mitochondrial outer membrane. The proposed β-barrel structure of Tom40, the pore-forming component of the translocase, raises the question of how the apparent uninterrupted β-barrel topology can be compatible with a role of Tom40 in releasing membrane proteins into the lipid core of the bilayer. In this review, I discuss insertion mechanisms of proteins into the outer membrane and present alternative models based on the opening of a multisubunit β-barrel TOM structure or on the interaction of outer membrane precursors with the outer face of the Tom40 β-barrel structure.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Légiot ◽  
Claire Céré ◽  
Thibaud Dupoiron ◽  
Mohamed Kaabouni ◽  
Stéphen Manon

AbstractThe distribution of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax in the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) is a central point of regulation of apoptosis. It is now widely recognized that parts of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are closely associated to the OMM, and are actively involved in different signalling processes. We adressed a possible role of these domains, called Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) in Bax localization and fonction, by expressing the human protein in a yeast mutant deleted of MDM34, a ERMES component (ER-Mitochondria Encounter Structure). By affecting MAMs stability, the deletion of MDM34 altered Bax mitochondrial localization, and decreased its capacity to release cytochrome c. Furthermore, the deletion of MDM34 decreased the size of an uncompletely released, MAMs-associated pool of cytochrome c.


1975 ◽  
Vol 152 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. D. Costa ◽  
A. M. Snoswell

1. The enzymic utilization of O-acetyl-l-carnitine other than via carnitine acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.7) was investigated in liver homogenates from rats, sheep and dry cows. 2. An enzymic utilization of O-acetyl-l-carnitine via hydrolysis of the ester bond to yield stoicheiometric quantities of acetate and l-carnitine was demonstrated; 0.55, 0.53 and 0.30μmol of acetyl-l-carnitine were utilized/min per g fresh wt. of liver homogenates from rats, sheep and dry cows respectively. 3. The acetylcarnitine hydrolysis activity was not due to a non-specific esterase or non-specific cholinesterase. O-Acetyl-d-carnitine was not utilized. 4. The activity was associated with the enriched outer mitochondrial membrane fraction from rat liver. Isolation of this fraction resulted in an eightfold purification of acetylcarnitine hydrolase activity. 4. The Km for this acetylcarnitine utilization was 2mm and 1.5mm for rat and sheep liver homogenates respectively. 6. There was a significant increase in acetylcarnitine hydrolase in rats on starvation and cows on lactation and a significant decrease in sheep that were severely alloxan-diabetic. 7. The physiological role of an acetylcarnitine hydrolase is discussed in relation to coupling with carnitine acetyltransferase for the relief of ‘acetyl pressure’.


eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian-Luca McLelland ◽  
Thomas Goiran ◽  
Wei Yi ◽  
Geneviève Dorval ◽  
Carol X Chen ◽  
...  

Despite their importance as signaling hubs, the function of mitochondria-ER contact sites in mitochondrial quality control pathways remains unexplored. Here we describe a mechanism by which Mfn2, a mitochondria-ER tether, gates the autophagic turnover of mitochondria by PINK1 and parkin. Mitochondria-ER appositions are destroyed during mitophagy, and reducing mitochondria-ER contacts increases the rate of mitochondrial degradation. Mechanistically, parkin/PINK1 catalyze a rapid burst of Mfn2 phosphoubiquitination to trigger p97-dependent disassembly of Mfn2 complexes from the outer mitochondrial membrane, dissociating mitochondria from the ER. We additionally demonstrate that a major portion of the facilitatory effect of p97 on mitophagy is epistatic to Mfn2 and promotes the availability of other parkin substrates such as VDAC1. Finally, we reconstitute the action of these factors on Mfn2 and VDAC1 ubiquitination in a cell-free assay. We show that mitochondria-ER tethering suppresses mitophagy and describe a parkin-/PINK1-dependent mechanism that regulates the destruction of mitochondria-ER contact sites.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 3590-3596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian H. Harris ◽  
Matthew G. Vander Heiden ◽  
Stephen J. Kron ◽  
Craig B. Thompson

ABSTRACT The Bcl-2-related protein Bax is toxic when expressed either in yeast or in mammalian cells. Although the mechanism of this toxicity is unknown, it appears to be similar in both cell types and dependent on the localization of Bax to the outer mitochondrial membrane. To investigate the role of mitochondrial respiration in Bax-mediated toxicity, a series of yeast mutant strains was created, each carrying a disruption in either a component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, a component of the mitochondrial ATP synthesis machinery, or a protein involved in mitochondrial adenine nucleotide exchange. Bax toxicity was reduced in strains lacking the ability to perform oxidative phosphorylation. In contrast, a respiratory-competent strain that lacked the outer mitochondrial membrane Por1 protein showed increased sensitivity to Bax expression. Deficiencies in other mitochondrial proteins did not affect Bax toxicity as long as the ability to perform oxidative phosphorylation was maintained. Characterization of Bax-induced toxicity in wild-type yeast demonstrated a growth inhibition that preceded cell death. This growth inhibition was associated with a decreased ability to carry out oxidative phosphorylation following Bax induction. Furthermore, cells recovered following Bax-induced growth arrest were enriched for a petite phenotype and were no longer able to grow on a nonfermentable carbon source. These results suggest that Bax expression leads to an impairment of mitochondrial respiration, inducing toxicity in cells dependent on oxidative phosphorylation for survival. Furthermore, Bax toxicity is enhanced in yeast deficient in the ability to exchange metabolites across the outer mitochondrial membrane.


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