Skip to main content
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1983 Jan 1;96(1):248–255. doi: 10.1083/jcb.96.1.248

Biosynthetic pathway of mitochondrial ATPase subunit 9 in Neurospora crassa

PMCID: PMC2112243  PMID: 6219116

Abstract

Subunit 9 of mitochondrial ATPase (Su9) is synthesized in reticulocyte lysates programmed with Neurospora poly A-RNA, and in a Neurospora cell free system as a precursor with a higher apparent molecular weight than the mature protein (Mr 16,400 vs. 10,500). The RNA which directs the synthesis of Su9 precursor is associated with free polysomes. The precursor occurs as a high molecular weight aggregate in the postribosomal supernatant of reticulocyte lysates. Transfer in vitro of the precursor into isolated mitochondria is demonstrated. This process includes the correct proteolytic cleavage of the precursor to the mature form. After transfer, the protein acquires the following properties of the assembled subunit: it is resistant to added protease, it is soluble in chloroform/methanol, and it can be immunoprecipitated with antibodies to F1-ATPase. The precursor to Su9 is also detected in intact cells after pulse labeling. Processing in vivo takes place posttranslationally. It is inhibited by the uncoupler carbonylcyanide m- chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). A hypothetical mechanism is discussed for the intracellular transfer of Su9. It entails synthesis on free polysomes, release of the precursor into the cytosol, recognition by a receptor on the mitochondrial surface, and transfer into the inner mitochondrial membrane, which is accompanied by proteolytic cleavage and which depends on an electrical potential across the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.6 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson S., Bankier A. T., Barrell B. G., de Bruijn M. H., Coulson A. R., Drouin J., Eperon I. C., Nierlich D. P., Roe B. A., Sanger F. Sequence and organization of the human mitochondrial genome. Nature. 1981 Apr 9;290(5806):457–465. doi: 10.1038/290457a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beechey R. B., Holloway C. T., Knight I. G., Roberton A. M. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide--an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1966 Apr 6;23(1):75–80. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(66)90271-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bibb M. J., Van Etten R. A., Wright C. T., Walberg M. W., Clayton D. A. Sequence and gene organization of mouse mitochondrial DNA. Cell. 1981 Oct;26(2 Pt 2):167–180. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90300-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chamberlain J. P. Fluorographic detection of radioactivity in polyacrylamide gels with the water-soluble fluor, sodium salicylate. Anal Biochem. 1979 Sep 15;98(1):132–135. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(79)90716-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chua N. H., Schmidt G. W. Post-translational transport into intact chloroplasts of a precursor to the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Dec;75(12):6110–6114. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.12.6110. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chua N. H., Schmidt G. W. Transport of proteins into mitochondria and chloroplasts. J Cell Biol. 1979 Jun;81(3):461–483. doi: 10.1083/jcb.81.3.461. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dianoux A. C., Bof M., Vignais P. V. The dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-binding protein of rat liver mitochondria as a product of the mitochondrial protein synthesis. Eur J Biochem. 1978 Jul 17;88(1):69–77. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1978.tb12423.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Freitag H., Janes M., Neupert W. Biosynthesis of mitochondrial porin and insertion into the outer mitochondrial membrane of Neurospora crassa. Eur J Biochem. 1982 Aug;126(1):197–202. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1982.tb06766.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gasser S. M., Ohashi A., Daum G., Böhni P. C., Gibson J., Reid G. A., Yonetani T., Schatz G. Imported mitochondrial proteins cytochrome b2 and cytochrome c1 are processed in two steps. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Jan;79(2):267–271. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.2.267. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Glaser E., Norling B., Ernster L. A study of the dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-binding component of the mitochondrial ATPase complex from beef heart. Eur J Biochem. 1981 Mar 16;115(1):189–196. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1981.tb06216.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Glisin V., Crkvenjakov R., Byus C. Ribonucleic acid isolated by cesium chloride centrifugation. Biochemistry. 1974 Jun 4;13(12):2633–2637. doi: 10.1021/bi00709a025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hallermayer G., Zimmermann R., Neupert W. Kinetic studies on the transport of cytoplasmically synthesized proteins into the mitochondria in intact cells of Neurospora crassa. Eur J Biochem. 1977 Dec;81(3):523–532. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1977.tb11978.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hennig B., Neupert W. Assembly of cytochrome c. Apocytochrome c is bound to specific sites on mitochondria before its conversion to holocytochrome c. Eur J Biochem. 1981 Dec;121(1):203–212. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1981.tb06450.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hensgens L. A., Grivell L. A., Borst P., Bos J. L. Nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial structural gene for subunit 9 of yeast ATPase complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Apr;76(4):1663–1667. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.4.1663. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Korb H., Neupert W. Biogenesis of cytochrome c in Neurospora crassa. Synthesis of apocytochrome c, transfer to mitochondria and conversion to Holocytochrome c. Eur J Biochem. 1978 Nov 15;91(2):609–620. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1978.tb12714.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Macino G., Tzagoloff A. Assembly of the mitochondrial membrane system. The DNA sequence of a mitochondrial ATPase gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Biol Chem. 1979 Jun 10;254(11):4617–4623. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Michel R., Wachter E., Sebald W. Synthesis of a larger precursor for the proteolipid subunit of the mitochondrial ATPase complex of Neurospora crassa in a cell-free wheat germ system. FEBS Lett. 1979 May 15;101(2):373–376. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(79)81047-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Nelson N., Eytan E., Notsani B. E., Sigrist H., Sigrist-Nelson K., Gitler C. Isolation of a chloroplast N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-binding proteolipid, active in proton translocation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Jun;74(6):2375–2378. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.6.2375. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Payvar F., Schimke R. T. Improvements in immunoprecipitation of specific messenger RNA. Isolation of highly purified conalbumin mRNA in high yield. Eur J Biochem. 1979 Nov 1;101(1):271–282. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1979.tb04240.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Roberton A. M., Holloway C. T., Knight I. G., Beechey R. B. A comparison of the effects of NN'-dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide, oligomycin A and aurovertin on enrgy-linked reactions in mitochondria and submitochondrial particles. Biochem J. 1968 Jul;108(3):445–456. doi: 10.1042/bj1080445. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sabatini D. D., Kreibich G., Morimoto T., Adesnik M. Mechanisms for the incorporation of proteins in membranes and organelles. J Cell Biol. 1982 Jan;92(1):1–22. doi: 10.1083/jcb.92.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Scheele G., Dobberstein B., Blobel G. Transfer of proteins across membranes, Biosynthesis in vitro of pretrypsinogen and trypsinogen by cell fractions of canine pancreas. Eur J Biochem. 1978 Jan 16;82(2):593–599. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1978.tb12055.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Schleyer M., Schmidt B., Neupert W. Requirement of a membrane potential for the posttranslational transfer of proteins into mitochondria. Eur J Biochem. 1982 Jun 15;125(1):109–116. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1982.tb06657.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Schmidt G. W., Bartlett S. G., Grossman A. R., Cashmore A. R., Chua N. H. Biosynthetic pathways of two polypeptide subunits of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein complex. J Cell Biol. 1981 Nov;91(2 Pt 1):468–478. doi: 10.1083/jcb.91.2.468. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Sebald W. Biogenesis of mitochondrial ATPase. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1977 Jun 21;463(1):1–27. doi: 10.1016/0304-4173(77)90002-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sebald W., Graf T., Lukins H. B. The dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-binding protein of the mitochondrial ATPase complex from Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Identification and isolation. Eur J Biochem. 1979 Feb 1;93(3):587–599. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1979.tb12859.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sebald W., Machleidt W., Wachter E. N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide binds specifically to a single glutamyl residue of the proteolipid subunit of the mitochondrial adenosinetriphosphatases from Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Feb;77(2):785–789. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.2.785. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Sebald W., Wild G. Mitochondrial ATPase complex from Neurospora crassa. Methods Enzymol. 1979;55:344–351. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(79)55043-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Sierra M. F., Tzagoloff A. Assembly of the mitochondrial system. Purification of a mitochondrial product of the ATPase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Nov;70(11):3155–3159. doi: 10.1073/pnas.70.11.3155. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sone N., Yoshida M., Hirata H., Kagawa Y. Resolution of the membrane moiety of the H+-ATPase complex into two kinds of subunits. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Sep;75(9):4219–4223. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.9.4219. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Tzagoloff A., Macino G., Sebald W. Mitochondrial genes and translation products. Annu Rev Biochem. 1979;48:419–441. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.48.070179.002223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Tzagoloff A., Meagher P. Assesmbly of the mitochondrial membrane system. VI. Mitochondrial synthesis of subunit proteins of the rutamycin-sensitive adenosine triphosphatase. J Biol Chem. 1972 Jan 25;247(2):594–603. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Ullrich A., Shine J., Chirgwin J., Pictet R., Tischer E., Rutter W. J., Goodman H. M. Rat insulin genes: construction of plasmids containing the coding sequences. Science. 1977 Jun 17;196(4296):1313–1319. doi: 10.1126/science.325648. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Zimmerman R., Paluch U., Sprinzl M., Neupert W. Cell-free synthesis of the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier protein of Neurospora crassa. Eur J Biochem. 1979 Sep;99(2):247–252. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1979.tb13251.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Zimmermann R., Neupert W. Transport of proteins into mitochondria. Posttranslational transfer of ADP/ATP carrier into mitochondria in vitro. Eur J Biochem. 1980 Aug;109(1):217–229. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1980.tb04787.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. de Jong L., Holtrop M., Kroon A. M. The biogenesis of rat-liver mitochondrial ATPase. Evidence that the N, N'-dicyclohexyl carbodiimide-binding protein is synthesized outside the mitochondria. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1980 Feb 29;606(2):331–337. doi: 10.1016/0005-2787(80)90042-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES