Import of Carrier Proteins into Mitochondria

1999 ◽  
Vol 380 (10) ◽  
pp. 1151-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaye N. Truscott ◽  
Nikolaus Pfanner

AbstractCarrier proteins located in the inner membrane of mitochondria are responsible for the exchange of metabolites between the intermembrane space and the matrix of this organelle. All members of this family are nuclear-encoded and depend on translocation machineries for their import into mitochondria. Recently many new translocation components responsible for the import of carrier proteins were identified. It is now possible to describe a detailed import pathway for this class of proteins. This review highlights the contribution made by translocation components to the process of carrier protein import into mitochondria.

2009 ◽  
Vol 184 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasushi Tamura ◽  
Yoshihiro Harada ◽  
Takuya Shiota ◽  
Koji Yamano ◽  
Kazuaki Watanabe ◽  
...  

Mitochondrial protein traffic requires coordinated operation of protein translocator complexes in the mitochondrial membrane. The TIM23 complex translocates and inserts proteins into the mitochondrial inner membrane. Here we analyze the intermembrane space (IMS) domains of Tim23 and Tim50, which are essential subunits of the TIM23 complex, in these functions. We find that interactions of Tim23 and Tim50 in the IMS facilitate transfer of precursor proteins from the TOM40 complex, a general protein translocator in the outer membrane, to the TIM23 complex. Tim23–Tim50 interactions also facilitate a late step of protein translocation across the inner membrane by promoting motor functions of mitochondrial Hsp70 in the matrix. Therefore, the Tim23–Tim50 pair coordinates the actions of the TOM40 and TIM23 complexes together with motor proteins for mitochondrial protein import.


Open Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruairidh Edwards ◽  
Ross Eaglesfield ◽  
Kostas Tokatlidis

The mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) is the most constricted sub-mitochondrial compartment, housing only about 5% of the mitochondrial proteome, and yet is endowed with the largest variability of protein import mechanisms. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of the major IMS import pathway based on the oxidative protein folding pathway and discuss the stunning variability of other IMS protein import pathways. As IMS-localized proteins only have to cross the outer mitochondrial membrane, they do not require energy sources like ATP hydrolysis in the mitochondrial matrix or the inner membrane electrochemical potential which are critical for import into the matrix or insertion into the inner membrane. We also explore several atypical IMS import pathways that are still not very well understood and are guided by poorly defined or completely unknown targeting peptides. Importantly, many of the IMS proteins are linked to several human diseases, and it is therefore crucial to understand how they reach their normal site of function in the IMS. In the final part of this review, we discuss current understanding of how such IMS protein underpin a large spectrum of human disorders.


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (S1) ◽  
pp. 193-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Court ◽  
Roland Lill ◽  
Walter Neupert

The majority of proteins within mitochondria are synthesized on cytosolic ribosomes and imported into the organelles. Protein complexes in the mitochondrial outer membrane harbour both the receptors that recognize these preproteins, and a translocation pore. These "receptor complexes" are the entry points for most preproteins, which are subsequently targeted to their final submitochondrial locations. The outer membrane complexes cooperate with the import machinery of the inner membrane to target preproteins to the inner membrane itself, the matrix, or, in some cases, to the intermembrane space. In isolated outer membranes, these complexes are capable of accurately importing preproteins destined for the outer membrane. Our current understanding of the composition, function, and biogenesis of these outer membrane receptor complexes is the focus of this article. Key words: mitochondria, outer membrane, protein import, receptors.


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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (33) ◽  
pp. 16593-16602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svitlana Yablonska ◽  
Vinitha Ganesan ◽  
Lisa M. Ferrando ◽  
JinHo Kim ◽  
Anna Pyzel ◽  
...  

Mutant huntingtin (mHTT), the causative protein in Huntington’s disease (HD), associates with the translocase of mitochondrial inner membrane 23 (TIM23) complex, resulting in inhibition of synaptic mitochondrial protein import first detected in presymptomatic HD mice. The early timing of this event suggests that it is a relevant and direct pathophysiologic consequence of mHTT expression. We show that, of the 4 TIM23 complex proteins, mHTT specifically binds to the TIM23 subunit and that full-length wild-type huntingtin (wtHTT) and mHTT reside in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. We investigated differences in mitochondrial proteome between wtHTT and mHTT cells and found numerous proteomic disparities between mHTT and wtHTT mitochondria. We validated these data by quantitative immunoblotting in striatal cell lines and human HD brain tissue. The level of soluble matrix mitochondrial proteins imported through the TIM23 complex is lower in mHTT-expressing cell lines and brain tissues of HD patients compared with controls. In mHTT-expressing cell lines, membrane-bound TIM23-imported proteins have lower intramitochondrial levels, whereas inner membrane multispan proteins that are imported via the TIM22 pathway and proteins integrated into the outer membrane generally remain unchanged. In summary, we show that, in mitochondria, huntingtin is located in the intermembrane space, that mHTT binds with high-affinity to TIM23, and that mitochondria from mHTT-expressing cells and brain tissues of HD patients have reduced levels of nuclearly encoded proteins imported through TIM23. These data demonstrate the mechanism and biological significance of mHTT-mediated inhibition of mitochondrial protein import, a mechanism likely broadly relevant to other neurodegenerative diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 401 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 737-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruairidh Edwards ◽  
Sarah Gerlich ◽  
Kostas Tokatlidis

AbstractThe mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) houses a large spectrum of proteins with distinct and critical functions. Protein import into this mitochondrial sub-compartment is underpinned by an intriguing variety of pathways, many of which are still poorly understood. The constricted volume of the IMS and the topological segregation by the inner membrane cristae into a bulk area surrounded by the boundary inner membrane and the lumen within the cristae is an important factor that adds to the complexity of the protein import, folding and assembly processes. We discuss the main import pathways into the IMS, but also how IMS proteins are degraded or even retro-translocated to the cytosol in an integrated network of interactions that is necessary to maintain a healthy balance of IMS proteins under physiological and cellular stress conditions. We conclude this review by highlighting new and exciting perspectives in this area with a view to develop a better understanding of yet unknown, likely unconventional import pathways, how presequence-less proteins can be targeted and the basis for dual localisation in the IMS and the cytosol. Such knowledge is critical to understanding the dynamic changes of the IMS proteome in response to stress, and particularly important for maintaining optimal mitochondrial fitness.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 4035-4042 ◽  
Author(s):  
D A Court ◽  
F E Nargang ◽  
H Steiner ◽  
R S Hodges ◽  
W Neupert ◽  
...  

Tom22 is an essential component of the protein translocation complex (Tom complex) of the mitochondrial outer membrane. The N-terminal domain of Tom22 functions as a preprotein receptor in cooperation with Tom20. The role of the C-terminal domain of Tom22, which is exposed to the intermembrane space (IMS), in its own assembly into the Tom complex and in the import of other preproteins was investigated. The C-terminal domain of Tom22 is not essential for the targeting and assembly of this protein, as constructs lacking part or all of the IMS domain became imported into mitochondria and assembled into the Tom complex. Mutant strains of Neurospora expressing the truncated Tom22 proteins were generated by a novel procedure. These mutants displayed wild-type growth rates, in contrast to cells lacking Tom22, which are not viable. The import of proteins into the outer membrane and the IMS of isolated mutant mitochondria was not affected. Some but not all preproteins destined for the matrix and inner membrane were imported less efficiently. The reduced import was not due to impaired interaction of presequences with their specific binding site on the trans side of the outer membrane. Rather, the IMS domain of Tom22 appears to slightly enhance the efficiency of the transfer of these preproteins to the import machinery of the inner membrane.


2009 ◽  
Vol 390 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiya Endo ◽  
Koji Yamano

Abstract Mitochondria are two-membrane bounded organelles consisting of 1000–2000 different proteins, most of which are synthesized in the cytosol and subsequently imported into mitochondria. The imported proteins are further sorted to one of the four compartments, the outer membrane, intermembrane space, inner membrane, and matrix, mostly following one of the five major pathways. Mitochondrial protein import and sorting are mediated by the translocator complexes in the membranes and chaperones in the aqueous compartments operating along the import pathways. Here, we summarize the expanding knowledge on the roles of translocators, chaperones, and related components in the multiple pathways for mitochondrial protein trafficking.


2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1122-1131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott A. Saracco ◽  
Thomas D. Fox

The amino- and carboxy-terminal domains of mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (Cox2p) are translocated out of the matrix to the intermembrane space. We have carried out a genetic screen to identify components required to export the biosynthetic enzyme Arg8p, tethered to the Cox2p C terminus by a translational gene fusion inserted into mtDNA. We obtained multiple alleles of COX18, PNT1, and MSS2, as well as mutations in CBP1 and PET309. Focusing on Cox18p, we found that its activity is required to export the C-tail of Cox2p bearing a short C-terminal epitope tag. This is not a consequence of reduced membrane potential due to loss of cytochrome oxidase activity because Cox2p C-tail export was not blocked in mitochondria lacking Cox4p. Cox18p is not required to export the Cox2p N-tail, indicating that these two domains of Cox2p are translocated by genetically distinct mechanisms. Cox18p is a mitochondrial integral inner membrane protein. The inner membrane proteins Mss2p and Pnt1p both coimmunoprecipitate with Cox18p, suggesting that they work together in translocation of Cox2p domains, an inference supported by functional interactions among the three genes.


1986 ◽  
Vol 233 (1) ◽  
pp. 283-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
M C Duque-Magalhães ◽  
P Régnier

Rat liver mitochondrial fractions corresponding to four morphological structures (matrix, inner membrane, intermembrane space and outer membrane) contain proteinases that cleave casein components at different rates. Proteinases of the intermembrane space preferentially cleave kappa-casein, whereas the proteinases of the outer membrane, inner membrane and matrix fractions degrade alpha S1-casein more rapidly. Electrophoretic separation of the degradation products of alpha S1-casein and kappa-casein in polyacrylamide gels shows that different polypeptides are produced when the substrate is degraded by the matrix, by both membranes and by the intermembrane-space fraction. Some of the degradation products resulting from incubation of the caseins with the mitochondrial fractions are probably the result of digestion by contaminating lysosomal proteinase(s). The matrix has a high peptidase activity, since glucagon, a small peptide, is very rapidly degraded by this fraction. These observations strongly suggest that distinct proteinases, with different specificities, are associated respectively with the intermembrane space and with both membrane fractions.


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