Cooperation of translocase complexes in mitochondrial protein import

Most mitochondrial proteins are synthesized in the cytosol and imported into one of the four mitochondrial compartments: outer membrane, intermembrane space, inner membrane, and matrix. Each compartment contains protein complexes that interact with precursor proteins and promote their transport. These translocase complexes do not act as independent units but cooperate with each other and further membrane complexes in a dynamic manner. We propose that a regulated coupling of translocases is important for the coordination of preprotein translocation and efficient sorting to intramitochondrial compartments

Structural and functional analysis of Nup120 suggests ring formation of the Nup84 complex

The Nup84 complex constitutes a key building block in the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Here we present the crystal structure of one of its 7 components, Nup120, which reveals a β propeller and an α-helical domain representing a novel fold. We discovered a previously unidentified interaction of Nup120 with Nup133 and confirmed the physiological relevance in vivo. As mapping of the individual components in the Nup84 complex places Nup120 and Nup133 at opposite ends of the heptamer, our findings indicate a head-to-tail arrangement of elongated Nup84 complexes into a ring structure, consistent with a fence-like coat for the nuclear pore membrane. The attachment site for Nup133 lies at the very end of an extended unstructured region, which allows for flexibility in the diameter of the Nup84 complex ring. These results illuminate important roles of terminal unstructured segments in nucleoporins for the architecture, function, and assembly of the NPC

Structural and functional analysis of Nup120 suggests ring formation of the Nup84 complex

The Nup84 complex constitutes a key building block in the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Here we present the crystal structure of one of its 7 components, Nup120, which reveals a β propeller and an α-helical domain representing a novel fold. We discovered a previously unidentified interaction of Nup120 with Nup133 and confirmed the physiological relevance in vivo. As mapping of the individual components in the Nup84 complex places Nup120 and Nup133 at opposite ends of the heptamer, our findings indicate a head-to-tail arrangement of elongated Nup84 complexes into a ring structure, consistent with a fence-like coat for the nuclear pore membrane. The attachment site for Nup133 lies at the very end of an extended unstructured region, which allows for flexibility in the diameter of the Nup84 complex ring. These results illuminate important roles of terminal unstructured segments in nucleoporins for the architecture, function, and assembly of the NPC

The translocator maintenance protein Tam41 is required for mitochondrial cardiolipin biosynthesis

The mitochondrial inner membrane contains different translocator systems for the import of presequence-carrying proteins and carrier proteins. The translocator assembly and maintenance protein 41 (Tam41/mitochondrial matrix protein 37) was identified as a new member of the mitochondrial protein translocator systems by its role in maintaining the integrity and activity of the presequence translocase of the inner membrane (TIM23 complex). Here we demonstrate that the assembly of proteins imported by the carrier translocase, TIM22 complex, is even more strongly affected by the lack of Tam41. Moreover, respiratory chain supercomplexes and the inner membrane potential are impaired by lack of Tam41. The phenotype of Tam41-deficient mitochondria thus resembles that of mitochondria lacking cardiolipin. Indeed, we found that Tam41 is required for the biosynthesis of the dimeric phospholipid cardiolipin. The pleiotropic effects of the translocator maintenance protein on preprotein import and respiratory chain can be attributed to its role in biosynthesis of mitochondrial cardiolipin

Biogenesis of the mitochondrial TOM complex: Mim1 promotes insertion and assembly of signal-anchored receptors.

The translocase of the outer membrane (TOM complex) is the central entry gate for nuclear-encoded mitochondrial precursor proteins. All Tom proteins are also encoded by nuclear genes and synthesized as precursors in the cytosol. The channel-forming ␤-barrel protein Tom40 is targeted to mitochondria via Tom receptors and inserted into the outer membrane by the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM complex). A further outer membrane protein, Mim1, plays a less defined role in assembly of Tom40 into the TOM complex. The three receptors Tom20, Tom22, and Tom70 are anchored in the outer membrane by a single transmembrane ␣-helix, located at the N terminus in the case of Tom20 and Tom70 (signal-anchored) or in the C-terminal portion in the case of Tom22 (tail-anchored). Insertion of the precursor of Tom22 into the outer membrane requires pre-existing Tom receptors while the import pathway of the precursors of Tom20 and Tom70 is only poorly understood. We report that Mim1 is required for efficient membrane insertion and assembly of Tom20 and Tom70, but not Tom22. We show that Mim1 associates with SAM core components to a large SAM complex, explaining its role in late steps of the assembly pathway of Tom40. We conclude that Mim1 is not only required for biogenesis of the ␤-barrel protein Tom40 but also for membrane insertion and assembly of signal-anchored Tom receptors. Thus, Mim1 plays an important role in the efficient assembly of the mitochondrial TOM complex. The essential biochemical function of mitochondria depends on the uptake of cytosolic-synthesized precursor proteins. The vast majority of precursor proteins are imported by the preprotein translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOM 4 complex). Subsequently the precursor proteins are sorted to the different mitochondrial subcompartments, the outer and inner membranes, the intermembrane space and the matrix (1-7). The TOM complex is composed of seven different subunits. Tom40 forms the protein-conducting channel across the outer membrane (8 -10). The three receptors Tom20, Tom22, and Tom70 expose domains on the cytosolic side of the outer membrane, recognize the precursor proteins and direct them to the Tom40 channel (11). In addition, three small Tom proteins, Tom5, Tom6, and Tom7, are associated with the Tom40 core of the complex (12-14). Tom40 forms a transmembrane ␤-barrel, while all other Tom components are embedded in the membrane via a single transmembrane ␣-helix (9 -10, 15). The ␣-helical membrane anchor is localized in the C-terminal portion of Tom22 and the small Tom proteins and thus those proteins belong to the tail-anchored proteins (15-19). Tom20 and Tom70 are integrated into the outer membrane by an N-terminal ␣-helix, which together with flanking regions is important for both intracellular targeting and membrane anchoring, and thus these proteins are called signal-anchored proteins (20 -23). All Tom proteins are synthesized as precursor proteins on cytosolic ribosomes and imported into mitochondria. The import pathway of the precursor of the channel-forming protein Tom40 has been studied in detail. The ␤-barrel precursor is recognized by TOM receptors and translocated across the outer membrane by a pre-existing Tom40 channel (24 -26). On the intermembrane space side, chaperone complexes formed by small Tim proteins transfer the precursor of Tom40 to the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM complex) that promotes insertion of the precursor into the outer membran

Mitochondrial Cardiolipin Involved in Outer-Membrane Protein Biogenesis: Implications for Barth Syndrome

10.1016/j.cub.2009.10.074Current Biology19242133-2139CUBL