scholarly journals Characterization of the Mitochondrial Inner Membrane Translocase Complex: the Tim23p Hydrophobic Domain Interacts with Tim17p but Not with Other Tim23p Molecules

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen R. Ryan ◽  
Roxanne S. Leung ◽  
Robert E. Jensen

ABSTRACT Tim23p is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein essential for the import of proteins from the cytosol. Tim23p contains an amino-terminal hydrophilic segment and a carboxyl-terminal hydrophobic domain (Tim23Cp). To study the functions and interactions of the two parts of Tim23p separately, we constructed tim23N, encoding only the hydrophilic region of Tim23p, and tim23C, encoding only the hydrophobic domain of Tim23p. Only the Tim23C protein is imported into mitochondria, indicating that the mitochondrial targeting information in Tim23p resides in its membrane spans or intervening loops. Tim23Cp, however, cannot substitute for full-length Tim23p, suggesting that the hydrophilic portion of Tim23p also performs an essential function in mitochondrial protein import. We found that overexpression of Tim23Cp is toxic to yeast cells that carry the tim23-1 mutation. Excess Tim23Cp causes Tim23-1p to disappear, leavingtim23-1 cells without a full-length version of the Tim23 protein. If Tim17p, another inner membrane import component, is overexpressed along with Tim23Cp, the toxicity of Tim23Cp is largely reversed and the Tim23-1 protein no longer disappears. In coimmunoprecipitations from solubilized mitochondria, Tim17p associates with the Tim23C protein. In addition, we show that Tim23p and Tim17p can be chemically cross-linked to each other in intact mitochondria. We conclude that the hydrophobic domain encoded by tim23Ctargets Tim23p to the mitochondria and mediates the direct interaction between Tim23p and Tim17p. In contrast, Tim23Cp cannot be coimmunoprecipitated with Tim23p, raising the possibility that the hydrophobic domain of Tim23p does not interact with other Tim23 molecules.

1994 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 529-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
K R Ryan ◽  
M M Menold ◽  
S Garrett ◽  
R E Jensen

MAS6 encodes an essential inner membrane protein required for mitochondrial protein import in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Emtage and Jensen, 1993). To identify new inner membrane import components, we isolated a high-copy suppressor (SMS1) of the mas6-1 mutant. SMS1 encodes a 16.5-kDa protein that contains several potential membrane-spanning domains. The Sms1 protein is homologous to the carboxyl-terminal domain of the Mas6 protein. Like Mas6p, Sms1p is located in the mitochondrial inner membrane and is an essential protein. Depletion of Sms1p from cells causes defects in the import of several mitochondrial precursor proteins, suggesting that Sms1p is a new inner membrane import component. Our observations raise the possibility that Sms1p and Mas6p act together to translocate proteins across the inner membrane.


Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 165 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Cory D Dunn ◽  
Robert E Jensen

Abstract The TIM22 complex, required for the insertion of imported polytopic proteins into the mitochondrial inner membrane, contains the nonessential Tim18p subunit. To learn more about the function of Tim18p, we screened for high-copy suppressors of the inability of tim18Δ mutants to live without mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We identified several genes encoding cytosolic proteins, including CCT6, SSB1, ICY1, TIP41, and PBP1, which, when overproduced, rescue the mtDNA dependence of tim18Δ cells. Furthermore, these same plasmids rescue the petite-negative phenotype of cells lacking other components of the mitochondrial protein import machinery. Strikingly, disruption of the genes identified by the different suppressors produces cells that are unable to grow without mtDNA. We speculate that loss of mtDNA leads to a lowered inner membrane potential, and subtle changes in import efficiency can no longer be tolerated. Our results suggest that increased amounts of Cct6p, Ssb1p, Icy1p, Tip41p, and Pbp1p help overcome the problems resulting from a defect in protein import.


1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 2577-2593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison J. Davis ◽  
Kathleen R. Ryan ◽  
Robert E. Jensen

The Tim23 protein is an essential inner membrane (IM) component of the yeast mitochondrial protein import pathway. Tim23p does not carry an amino-terminal presequence; therefore, the targeting information resides within the mature protein. Tim23p is anchored in the IM via four transmembrane segments and has two positively charged loops facing the matrix. To identify the import signal for Tim23p, we have constructed several altered versions of the Tim23 protein and examined their function and import in yeast cells, as well as their import into isolated mitochondria. We replaced the positively charged amino acids in one or both loops with alanine residues and found that the positive charges are not required for import into mitochondria, but at least one positively charged loop is required for insertion into the IM. Furthermore, we find that the signal to target Tim23p to mitochondria is carried in at least two of the hydrophobic transmembrane segments. Our results suggest that Tim23p contains separate import signals: hydrophobic segments for targeting Tim23p to mitochondria, and positively charged loops for insertion into the IM. We therefore propose that Tim23p is imported into mitochondria in at least two distinct steps.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 2642-2649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana P. Hutu ◽  
Bernard Guiard ◽  
Agnieszka Chacinska ◽  
Dorothea Becker ◽  
Nikolaus Pfanner ◽  
...  

The presequence translocase of the mitochondrial inner membrane (TIM23 complex) mediates the import of preproteins with amino-terminal presequences. To drive matrix translocation the TIM23 complex recruits the presequence translocase-associated motor (PAM) with the matrix heat shock protein 70 (mtHsp70) as central subunit. Activity and localization of mtHsp70 are regulated by four membrane-associated cochaperones: the adaptor protein Tim44, the stimulatory J-complex Pam18/Pam16, and Pam17. It has been proposed that Tim44 serves as molecular platform to localize mtHsp70 and the J-complex at the TIM23 complex, but it is unknown how Pam17 interacts with the translocase. We generated conditional tim44 yeast mutants and selected a mutant allele, which differentially affects the association of PAM modules with TIM23. In tim44-804 mitochondria, the interaction of the J-complex with the TIM23 complex is impaired, whereas unexpectedly the binding of Pam17 is increased. Pam17 interacts with the channel protein Tim23, revealing a new interaction site between TIM23 and PAM. Thus, the motor PAM is composed of functional modules that bind to different sites of the translocase. We suggest that Tim44 is not simply a scaffold for binding of motor subunits but plays a differential role in the recruitment of PAM modules to the inner membrane translocase.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 4051-4062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle R. Gallas ◽  
Mary K. Dienhart ◽  
Rosemary A. Stuart ◽  
Roy M. Long

Many mitochondrial proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and after translation in the cytoplasm are imported via translocases in the outer and inner membranes, the TOM and TIM complexes, respectively. Here, we report the characterization of the mitochondrial protein, Mmp37p (YGR046w) and demonstrate its involvement in the process of protein import into mitochondria. Haploid cells deleted of MMP37 are viable but display a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype and are inviable in the absence of mitochondrial DNA. Mmp37p is located in the mitochondrial matrix where it is peripherally associated with the inner membrane. We show that Mmp37p has a role in the translocation of proteins across the mitochondrial inner membrane via the TIM23-PAM complex and further demonstrate that substrates containing a tightly folded domain in close proximity to their mitochondrial targeting sequences display a particular dependency on Mmp37p for mitochondrial import. Prior unfolding of the preprotein, or extension of the region between the targeting signal and the tightly folded domain, relieves their dependency for Mmp37p. Furthermore, evidence is presented to show that Mmp37 may affect the assembly state of the TIM23 complex. On the basis of these findings, we hypothesize that the presence of Mmp37p enhances the early stages of the TIM23 matrix import pathway to ensure engagement of incoming preproteins with the mtHsp70p/PAM complex, a step that is necessary to drive the unfolding and complete translocation of the preprotein into the matrix.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1873-1881
Author(s):  
S M Glaser ◽  
B R Miller ◽  
M G Cumsky

We have examined the import and intramitochondrial localization of the precursor to yeast cytochrome c oxidase subunit Va, a protein of the mitochondrial inner membrane. The results of studies on the import of subunit Va derivatives carrying altered presequences suggest that the uptake of this protein is highly efficient. We found that a presequence of only 5 amino acids (Met-Leu-Ser-Leu-Arg) could direct the import and localization of subunit Va with wild-type efficiency, as judged by several different assays. We also found that subunit Va could be effectively targeted to the mitochondrial inner membrane with a heterologous presequence that failed to direct import of its cognate protein. The results presented here confirmed those of an earlier study and showed clearly that the information required to "sort" subunit Va to the inner membrane resides in the mature protein sequence, not within the presequence per se. We present additional evidence that the aforementioned sorting information is contained, at least in part, in a hydrophobic stretch of 22 amino acids residing within the C-terminal third of the protein. Removal of this domain caused subunit Va to be mislocalized to the mitochondrial matrix.


FEBS Letters ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 349 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ammy C. Maarse ◽  
Jolanda Blom ◽  
Petra Keil ◽  
Nikolaus Pfanner ◽  
Michiel Meijer

1993 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 1003-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
JL Emtage ◽  
RE Jensen

To identify new components that mediate mitochondrial protein import, we analyzed mas6, an import mutant in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. mas6 mutants are temperature sensitive for viability, and accumulate mitochondrial precursor proteins at the restrictive temperature. We show that mas6 does not correspond to any of the presently identified import mutants, and we find that mitochondria isolated from mas6 mutants are defective at an early stage of the mitochondrial protein import pathway. MAS6 encodes a 23-kD protein that contains several potential membrane spanning domains, and yeast strains disrupted for MAS6 are inviable at all temperatures and on all carbon sources. The Mas6 protein is located in the mitochondrial inner membrane and cannot be extracted from the membrane by alkali treatment. Antibodies to the Mas6 protein inhibit import into isolated mitochondria, but only when the outer membrane has been disrupted by osmotic shock. Mas6p therefore represents an essential import component located in the mitochondrial inner membrane.


2018 ◽  
Vol 218 (2) ◽  
pp. 598-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Richter ◽  
Sven Dennerlein ◽  
Miroslav Nikolov ◽  
Daniel C. Jans ◽  
Nataliia Naumenko ◽  
...  

The mitochondrial presequence translocation machinery (TIM23 complex) is conserved between the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and humans; however, functional characterization has been mainly performed in yeast. Here, we define the constituents of the human TIM23 complex using mass spectrometry and identified ROMO1 as a new translocase constituent with an exceptionally short half-life. Analyses of a ROMO1 knockout cell line revealed aberrant inner membrane structure and altered processing of the GTPase OPA1. We show that in the absence of ROMO1, mitochondria lose the inner membrane YME1L protease, which participates in OPA1 processing and ROMO1 turnover. While ROMO1 is dispensable for general protein import along the presequence pathway, we show that it participates in the dynamics of TIM21 during respiratory chain biogenesis and is specifically required for import of YME1L. This selective import defect can be linked to charge distribution in the unusually long targeting sequence of YME1L. Our analyses establish an unexpected link between mitochondrial protein import and inner membrane protein quality control.


1993 ◽  
Vol 121 (5) ◽  
pp. 1021-1029 ◽  
Author(s):  
B R Miller ◽  
M G Cumsky

We have continued our studies on the import pathway of the precursor to yeast cytochrome c oxidase subunit Va (pVa), a mitochondrial inner membrane protein. Previous work on this precursor demonstrated that import of pVa is unusually efficient, and that inner membrane localization is directed by a membrane-spanning domain in the COOH-terminal third of the protein. Here we report the results of studies aimed at analyzing the intramitochondrial sorting of pVa, as well as the role played by ancillary factors in import and localization of the precursor. We found that pVa was efficiently imported and correctly sorted in mitochondria prepared from yeast strains defective in the function of either mitochondrial heat shock protein (hsp)60 or hsp70. Under identical conditions the import and sorting of another mitochondrial protein, the precursor to the beta subunit of the F1 ATPase, was completely defective. Consistent with previous results demonstrating that the subunit Va precursor is loosely folded, we found that pVa could be efficiently imported into mitochondria after translation in wheat germ extracts. This results suggests that normal levels of extramitochondrial hsp70 are also not required for import of the protein. The results of this study enhance our understanding of the mechanism by which pVa is routed to the mitochondrial inner membrane. They suggest that while the NH2 terminus of pVa is exposed to the matrix and processed by the matrix metalloprotease, the protein remains anchored to the inner membrane before being assembled into a functional holoenzyme complex.


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