Defects In Mitochondrial Morphology Research Articles

The morphology proteins Mdm12/Mmm1 function in the major β-barrel assembly pathway of mitochondria

The beta-barrel proteins of mitochondria are synthesized on cytosolic ribosomes. The proteins are imported by the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) and the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM). It has been assumed that the SAM(core) complex with the subunits Sam35, Sam37 and Sam50 represents the last import stage common to all beta-barrel proteins, followed by splitting in a Tom40-specific route and a route for other beta-barrel proteins. We have identified new components of the beta-barrel assembly machinery and show that the major beta-barrel pathway extends beyond SAM(core). Mdm12/Mmm1 function after SAM(core) yet before splitting of the major pathway. Mdm12/Mmm1 have been known for their role in maintenance of mitochondrial morphology but we reveal assembly of beta-barrel proteins as their primary function. Moreover, Mdm10, which functions in the Tom40-specific route, can associate with SAM(core) as well as Mdm12/Mmm1 to form distinct assembly complexes, indicating a dynamic exchange between the machineries governing mitochondrial beta-barrel assembly. We conclude that assembly of mitochondrial beta-barrel proteins represents a major function of the morphology proteins Mdm12/Mmm1.

Identification of a Novel Mitochondrial Complex Containing Mitofusin 2 and Stomatin-like Protein 2

A reverse genetics approach was utilized to discover new proteins that interact with the mitochondrial fusion mediator mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) and that may participate in mitochondrial fusion. In particular, in vivo formaldehyde cross-linking of whole HeLa cells and immunoprecipitation with purified Mfn2 antibodies of SDS cell lysates were used to detect an approximately 42-kDa protein. This protein was identified by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry as stomatin-like protein 2 (Stoml2), previously described as a peripheral plasma membrane protein of unknown function associated with the cytoskeleton of erythrocytes (Wang, Y., and Morrow, J. S. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 8062-8071). Immunoblot analysis with anti-Stoml2 antibodies showed that Stoml2 could be immunoprecipitated specifically with Mfn2 antibody either from formaldehyde-cross-linked and SDS-lysed cells or from cells lysed with digitonin. Subsequent immunocytochemistry and cell fractionation experiments fully supported the conclusion that Stoml2 is indeed a mitochondrial protein. Furthermore, demonstration of mitochondrial membrane potential-dependent import of Stoml2 accompanied by proteolytic processing, together with the results of sublocalization experiments, suggested that Stoml2 is associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane and faces the intermembrane space. Notably, formaldehyde cross-linking revealed a "ladder" of high molecular weight protein species, indicating the presence of high molecular weight Stoml2-Mfn2 hetero-oligomers. Knockdown of Stoml2 by the short interfering RNA approach showed a reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential, without, however, any obvious changes in mitochondrial morphology.

Puf3p, a Pumilio family RNA binding protein, localizes to mitochondria and regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and motility in budding yeast

Puf3p binds preferentially to messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins. We find that Puf3p localizes to the cytosolic face of the mitochondrial outer membrane. Overexpression of PUF3 results in reduced mitochondrial respiratory activity and reduced levels of Pet123p, a protein encoded by a Puf3p-binding mRNA. Puf3p levels are reduced during the diauxic shift and growth on a nonfermentable carbon source, conditions that stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis. These findings support a role for Puf3p in mitochondrial biogenesis through effects on mRNA interactions. In addition, Puf3p links the mitochore, a complex required for mitochondrial–cytoskeletal interactions, to the Arp2/3 complex, the force generator for actin-dependent, bud-directed mitochondrial movement. Puf3p, the mitochore, and the Arp2/3 complex coimmunoprecipitate and have two-hybrid interactions. Moreover, deletion of PUF3 results in reduced interaction between the mitochore and the Arp2/3 complex and defects in mitochondrial morphology and motility similar to those observed in Arp2/3 complex mutants. Thus, Puf3p is a mitochondrial protein that contributes to the biogenesis and motility of the organelle.

A mitochondrial protein affects cell morphology, mitochondrial segregation and virulence in Leishmania

The single mitochondrion of kinetoplastids divides in synchrony with the nucleus and plays a crucial role in cell division. However, despite its importance and potential as a drug target, the mechanism of mitochondrial division and segregation and the molecules involved are only partly understood. In our quest to identify novel mitochondrial proteins in Leishmania, we constructed a hidden Markov model from the targeting motifs of known mitochondrial proteins as a tool to search the Leishmania major genome. We show here that one of the 17 proteins of unknown function that we identified, designated mitochondrial protein X (MIX), is an oligomeric protein probably located in the inner membrane and expressed throughout the Leishmania life cycle. The MIX gene appears to be essential. Moreover, even deletion of one allele from L. major led to abnormalities in cell morphology, mitochondrial segregation and, importantly, to loss of virulence. MIX is unique to kinetoplastids but its heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced defects in mitochondrial morphology. Our data show that a number of mitochondrial proteins are unique to kinetoplastids and some, like MIX, play a central role in mitochondrial segregation and cell division, as well as virulence.

Drosophila pink1 is required for mitochondrial function and interacts genetically with parkin

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated as an important trigger for Parkinson's disease-like pathogenesis because exposure to environmental mitochondrial toxins leads to Parkinson's disease-like pathology. Recently, multiple genes mediating familial forms of Parkinson's disease have been identified, including PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1; PARK6) and parkin (PARK2), which are also associated with sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease. PINK1 encodes a putative serine/threonine kinase with a mitochondrial targeting sequence. So far, no in vivo studies have been reported for pink1 in any model system. Here we show that removal of Drosophila PINK1 homologue (CG4523; hereafter called pink1) function results in male sterility, apoptotic muscle degeneration, defects in mitochondrial morphology and increased sensitivity to multiple stresses including oxidative stress. Pink1 localizes to mitochondria, and mitochondrial cristae are fragmented in pink1 mutants. Expression of human PINK1 in the Drosophila testes restores male fertility and normal mitochondrial morphology in a portion of pink1 mutants, demonstrating functional conservation between human and Drosophila Pink1. Loss of Drosophila parkin shows phenotypes similar to loss of pink1 function. Notably, overexpression of parkin rescues the male sterility and mitochondrial morphology defects of pink1 mutants, whereas double mutants removing both pink1 and parkin function show muscle phenotypes identical to those observed in either mutant alone. These observations suggest that pink1 and parkin function, at least in part, in the same pathway, with pink1 functioning upstream of parkin. The role of the pink1-parkin pathway in regulating mitochondrial function underscores the importance of mitochondrial dysfunction as a central mechanism of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.

Tim54p mediates the assembly of the AAA protease Yme1p

Tim54p is a component of the 300 kDa TIM22 complex of the yeast mitochondrial inner membrane and its specific role in mitochondrial biogenesis has not been elucidated. Tim54p contains one transmembrane domain from 38 to 55 and the N-terminus inserts into the matrix with the bulk of the C-terminus in the intermembrane space. [Delta]tim54 mitochondria contain lower levels of Tim22p, resulting in a decreased import of inner membrane substrates. However, a direct interaction between a precursor and Tim54p was not observed, suggesting that the observed decrease in import is a secondary effect of decreased Tim22p. Rather, yeast cells lacking Tim54p are petite-negative because they are inviable on glucose media with ethidium bromide. [Delta]tim54 mitochondria had a lowered membrane potential, but maintained functional respiratory complexes and the mitochondrial genome. Loss of Tim54p was associated with aberrant nucleoid formation and defects in mitochondrial morphology, but they were a secondary defect. Subsequent analysis has shown that Tim54p mediates assembly of the intermembrane space protease Yme1p. Tim54p thus might coordinate mitochondrial assembly and turnover pathways. (H.T. and D.K.H. were supported by Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award GM07185, S.M.C. was supported by the American Heart Association. This work was supported by grants from the NIH and Beckman Foundation.)

The m-AAA Protease Defective in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Controls Ribosome Assembly in Mitochondria

AAA proteases comprise a conserved family of membrane bound ATP-dependent proteases that ensures the quality control of mitochondrial inner-membrane proteins. Inactivation of AAA proteases causes pleiotropic phenotypes in various organisms, including respiratory deficiencies, mitochondrial morphology defects, and axonal degeneration in hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). The molecular basis of these defects, however, remained unclear. Here, we describe a regulatory role of an AAA protease for mitochondrial protein synthesis in yeast. The mitochondrial ribosomal protein MrpL32 is processed by the m-AAA protease, allowing its association with preassembled ribosomal particles and completion of ribosome assembly in close proximity to the inner membrane. Maturation of MrpL32 and mitochondrial protein synthesis are also impaired in a HSP mouse model lacking the m-AAA protease subunit paraplegin, demonstrating functional conservation. Our findings therefore rationalize mitochondrial defects associated with m-AAA protease mutants in yeast and shed new light on the mechanism of axonal degeneration in HSP.

A Role for Jsn1p in Recruiting the Arp2/3 Complex to Mitochondria in Budding Yeast

Although the Arp2/3 complex localizes to the leading edge of motile cells, endocytic structures, and mitochondria in budding yeast, the mechanism for targeting the Arp2/3 complex to different regions in the cell is not well understood. We find that Jsn1p, a member of the PUF family of proteins, facilitates association of Arp2/3 complex to yeast mitochondria. Jsn1p localizes to punctate structures that align along mitochondria, cofractionates with a mitochondrial marker protein during subcellular fractionation, and is both protease sensitive and carbonate extractable in isolated mitochondria. Thus, Jsn1p is a peripheral membrane protein that is associated with the outer leaflet of the mitochondrial outer membrane. Jsn1p colocalized and coimmunoprecipitated with mitochondria-associated Arc18p-GFP, and purified Arp2/3 complex bound to isolated TAP-tagged Jsn1p. Moreover, deletion of JSN1 reduces the amount of Arc18p-GFP that colocalizes and is recovered with mitochondria twofold, and jsn1Delta cells exhibited defects in mitochondrial morphology and motility similar to those observed in Arp2/3 complex mutants. Thus, Jsn1p has physical interactions with mitochondria-associated Arp2/3 complex and contributes to physical and functional association of the Arp2/3 complex with mitochondria.

Disruption of Fusion Results in Mitochondrial Heterogeneity and Dysfunction

Mitochondria undergo continual cycles of fusion and fission, and the balance of these opposing processes regulates mitochondrial morphology. Paradoxically, cells invest many resources to maintain tubular mitochondrial morphology, when reducing both fusion and fission simultaneously achieves the same end. This observation suggests a requirement for mitochondrial fusion, beyond maintenance of organelle morphology. Here, we show that cells with targeted null mutations in Mfn1 or Mfn2 retained low levels of mitochondrial fusion and escaped major cellular dysfunction. Analysis of these mutant cells showed that both homotypic and heterotypic interactions of Mfns are capable of fusion. In contrast, cells lacking both Mfn1 and Mfn2 completely lacked mitochondrial fusion and showed severe cellular defects, including poor cell growth, widespread heterogeneity of mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased cellular respiration. Disruption of OPA1 by RNAi also blocked all mitochondrial fusion and resulted in similar cellular defects. These defects in Mfn-null or OPA1-RNAi mammalian cells were corrected upon restoration of mitochondrial fusion, unlike the irreversible defects found in fzodelta yeast. In contrast, fragmentation of mitochondria, without severe loss of fusion, did not result in such cellular defects. Our results showed that key cellular functions decline as mitochondrial fusion is progressively abrogated.

Participation of the proteasomal lid subunit Rpn11 in mitochondrial morphology and function is mapped to a distinct C-terminal domain.

Substrates destined for degradation by the 26 S proteasome are labelled with polyubiquitin chains. Rpn11/Mpr1, situated in the lid subcomplex, partakes in the processing of these chains or in their removal from substrates bound to the proteasome. Rpn11 also plays a role in maintaining mitochondrial integrity, tubular structure and proper function. The recent finding that Rpn11 participates in proteasome-associated deubiquitination focuses interest on the MPN+ (Mpr1, Pad1, N-terminal)/JAMM (JAB1/MPN/Mov34) metalloprotease site in its N-terminal domain. However, Rpn11 damaged at its C-terminus (the mpr1-1 mutant) causes pleiotropic effects, including proteasome instability and mitochondrial morphology defects, resulting in both proteolysis and respiratory malfunctions. We find that overexpression of WT (wild-type) RPN8, encoding a paralogous subunit that does not contain the catalytic MPN+ motif, corrects proteasome conformations and rescues cell cycle phenotypes, but is unable to correct defects in the mitochondrial tubular system or respiratory malfunctions associated with the mpr1-1 mutation. Transforming mpr1-1 with various RPN8-RPN11 chimaeras or with other rpn11 mutants reveals that a WT C-terminal region of Rpn11 is necessary, and more surprisingly sufficient, to rescue the mpr1-1 mitochondrial phenotype. Interestingly, single-site mutants in the catalytic MPN+ motif at the N-terminus of Rpn11 lead to reduced proteasome-dependent deubiquitination connected with proteolysis defects. Nevertheless, these rpn11 mutants suppress the mitochondrial phenotypes associated with mpr1-1 by intragene complementation. Together, these results point to a unique role for the C-terminal region of Rpn11 in mitochondrial maintenance that may be independent of its role in proteasome-associated deubiquitination.

Levels of human Fis1 at the mitochondrial outer membrane regulate mitochondrial morphology.

Mitochondria undergo balanced fission and fusion events that enable their appropriate networking within the cell. In yeast, three factors have been identified that co-ordinate fission events at the mitochondrial outer membrane. Fis1p acts as the outer membrane receptor for recruitment of the dynamin member, Dnm1p and the WD40-repeat-containing protein Mdv1p. In mammals, the Dnm1p counterpart Drp1 has been characterized, but other components have not. Here, we report the characterization of human Fis1 (hFis1). hFis1 is inserted into the mitochondrial outer membrane via a C-terminal transmembrane domain that, along with a short basic segment, is essential for its targeting. Although expression of hFis1 does not complement the phenotype of yeast cells lacking Fis1p, overexpression of hFis1 in tissue culture cells nevertheless causes mitochondrial fragmentation and aggregation. This aggregation could be suppressed by expressing a dominant-negative Drp1 mutant (Drp1(K38A)). Knockdown of hFis1 in COS-7 cells using RNA interference results in mitochondrial morphology defects with notable extensions in the length of mitochondrial tubules. These results indicate that the levels of hFis1 at the mitochondrial surface influences mitochondrial fission events and hence overall mitochondrial morphology within the cell.

Mmd1p, a novel, conserved protein essential for normal mitochondrial morphology and distribution in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The mmd1 mutation causes temperature-sensitive growth and defects in mitochondrial morphology and distribution in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In mutant cells, mitochondria aggregate at the two cell ends, with increased aggregation at elevated temperatures. Microtubules, which mediate mitochondrial positioning in fission yeast, seem normal in mmd1 cells at permissive temperature and after several hours at the nonpermissive temperature but display aberrant organization after prolonged periods at 37 degrees C. Additionally, cells harboring both mmd1 and ban5-4, a temperature-sensitive allele of alpha2-tubulin, display synthetic defects in growth and mitochondrial distribution. The mmd1 mutation maps to an open reading frame encoding a novel 35.7-kDa protein. The Mmd1p sequence features repeating EZ-HEAT motifs and displays high conservation with uncharacterized homologues found in a variety of organisms. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells depleted for their MMD1 homologue show increased sensitivity to the antimicrotubule drug benomyl, and the S. cerevisiae gene complemented the S. pombe mutation. Mmd1p was localized to the cytosol. Mmd1p is the first identified component required for the alignment of mitochondria along microtubules in fission yeast.

Role of the ubiquitin-selective CDC48(UFD1/NPL4 )chaperone (segregase) in ERAD of OLE1 and other substrates.

The OLE pathway of yeast regulates the abundance of the ER-bound enzyme Delta-9 fatty acid desaturase OLE1, thereby controlling unsaturated fatty acid pools and membrane fluidity. Previously, we showed that this pathway is exquisitely regulated by the ubiquitin/proteasome system. Activation of the pathway involves proteasomal processing of a membrane-bound transcription factor and the subsequent mobilization of the cleaved, ubiquitylated transcription factor from its partner molecule by CDC48(UFD1/NPL4), a ubiquitin-selective chaperone-like enzyme. Here we report that the OLE1 protein itself is naturally short-lived and is degraded by ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent ER-associated degradation (ERAD). We found that CDC48(UFD1/NPL4) plays a second role in the OLE pathway by mediating ERAD of OLE1. Intriguingly, other ERAD substrates also require CDC48(UFD1/NPL4) for degradation, indicating that this enzyme is a novel, constitutive component of the ERAD machinery. We propose that CDC48(UFD1/NPL4) functions as a segregase that liberates ubiquitylated proteins from non-modified partners.

Arp2/3 complex and actin dynamics are required for actin-based mitochondrial motility in yeast.

The Arp2/3 complex is implicated in actin polymerization-driven movement of Listeria monocytogenes. Here, we find that Arp2p and Arc15p, two subunits of this complex, show tight, actin-independent association with isolated yeast mitochondria. Arp2p colocalizes with mitochondria. Consistent with this result, we detect Arp2p-dependent formation of actin clouds around mitochondria in intact yeast. Cells bearing mutations in ARP2 or ARC15 genes show decreased velocities of mitochondrial movement, loss of all directed movement and defects in mitochondrial morphology. Finally, we observe a decrease in the velocity and extent of mitochondrial movement in yeast in which actin dynamics are reduced but actin cytoskeletal structure is intact. These results support the idea that the movement of mitochondria in yeast is actin polymerization driven and that this movement requires Arp2/3 complex.

Inactivation of the Neurospora crassa mitochondrial outer membrane protein TOM70 by repeat-induced point mutation (RIP) causes defects in mitochondrial protein import and morphology.

Mitochondrial biogenesis requires the efficient import of hundreds of different cytosolically translated preproteins into existing organelles. Recognition and translocation of preproteins at the mitochondrial outer membrane is achieved by the TOM complex (translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane). The largest component of this complex is TOM70, an integral outer membrane protein with a large cytosolic domain thought to serve as a receptor for a specific group of preproteins. To investigate the functional role of TOM70 in Neurospora crassa the tom70 gene was inactivated using the natural phenomenon of repeat-induced point mutation (RIP). Mutant strains were identified that harbored RIPed tom70 alleles and contained no immunologically detectable TOM70. Strains that lack TOM70 grow more slowly than wild-type strains, conidiate poorly, and contain enlarged mitochondria. In vitro preprotein import studies using TOM70-deficient mitochondria revealed a defect in the uptake of the ADP/ATP carrier. Other preproteins tested were imported at wild-type rates with the exception of the precursor of the mitochondrial-processing peptidase (MPP) which was imported more efficiently by TOM70-deficient mitochondria. These data support the view that TOM70 plays a role as a specific receptor for carrier proteins in mitochondrial-preprotein import. The presence of tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs) in the TOM70 sequence and the enlarged shape of mitochondria lacking TOM70 raise the possibility that the protein also plays a role in the maintenance of mitochondrial morphology.

A role for ubiquitination in mitochondrial inheritance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The smm1 mutation suppresses defects in mitochondrial distribution and morphology caused by the mdm1-252 mutation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cells harboring only the smm1 mutation themselves display temperature-sensitive growth and aberrant mitochondrial inheritance and morphology at the nonpermissive temperature. smm1 maps to RSP5, a gene encoding an essential ubiquitin-protein ligase. The smm1 defects are suppressed by overexpression of wild-type ubiquitin but not by overexpression of mutant ubiquitin in which lysine-63 is replaced by arginine. Furthermore, overexpression of this mutant ubiquitin perturbs mitochondrial distribution and morphology in wild-type cells. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the ubiquitin ligase activity of Rsp5p is essential for its function in mitochondrial inheritance. A second mutation, smm2, which also suppressed mdm1-252 defects, but did not cause aberrant mitochondrial distribution and morphology, mapped to BUL1, encoding a protein interacting with Rsp5p. These results indicate that protein ubiquitination mediated by Rsp5p plays an essential role in mitochondrial inheritance, and reveal a novel function for protein ubiquitination.

Functional and morphological abnormalities of mitochondria harbouring the tRNA(Leu)(UUR) mutation in mitochondrial DNA derived from patients with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) and progressive kidney disease.

An A to G transition at nucleotide position 3243 in the mitochondrial tRNA Leu(UUR) gene has been identified in patients with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness, as well as in patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes, chronic progressive external ophpthalmoplegia, cardiomyopathy and progressive kidney disease. Variations in the mitochondrial DNA haplotype as well as differences in the degree and distribution of heteroplasmy in a certain tissue are factors that may contribute to the variety in phenotypical expression of the 3243 tRNA(Leu)(UUR) mutation. We have done morphological and functional experiments on mitochondria carrying the 3243 mutation derived from patients with either maternally inherited diabetes and deafness or progressive kidney disease to prove the pathogenicity of the 3243 mutation and to examine whether the mtDNA haplotype modulates the pathobiochemistry of this mutation. We constructed clonal cell lines that contain predominantly mutated or exclusively wild-type mtDNA with a distinct mtDNA haplotype by the methodology of mitochondria-mediated transformation. Cells lacking mitochondrial DNA (rho(o)) were used as recipients and donor mitochondria were derived from fibroblasts of a patient with either maternally inherited diabetes and deafness or progressive kidney disease. The fibroblasts from these clinically distinct patients carry different mitochondrial DNA haplotypes with the 3243 mutation in heteroplasmic form. Heteroplasmy in the clonal cybrid cells ranged from 0 to 100%, reflecting the heterogeneity of the mitochondrial donor cell. Cybrid cells containing predominantly mutant mitochondrial DNA showed lactic acidosis, poor respiration and marked defects in mitochondrial morphology and respiratory chain complex I and IV activities. No differences were observed in the extent of the mitochondrial dysfunction between the mutant cells derived from the two donors. These results provide evidence for a pathogenic effect of the tRNA(Leu)(UUR) mutation in maternally inherited diabetes and deafness and progressive kidney disease, and show no evidence of a contribution of the mitochondrial DNA haplotype as a modulating the biochemical expression of the mutation.

The dynamin-related GTPase, Dnm1p, controls mitochondrial morphology in yeast.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dnm1 protein is structurally related to dynamin, a GTPase required for membrane scission during endocytosis. Here we show that Dnm1p is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial morphology. Disruption of the DNM1 gene causes the wild-type network of tubular mitochondrial membranes to collapse to one side of the cell but does not affect the morphology or distribution of other cytoplasmic organelles. Dnm1 proteins containing point mutations in the predicted GTP-binding domain or completely lacking the GTP-binding domain fail to rescue mitochondrial morphology defects in a dnm1 mutant and induce dominant mitochondrial morphology defects in wild-type cells. Indirect immunofluorescence reveals that Dnm1p is distributed in punctate structures at the cell cortex that colocalize with the mitochondrial compartment. These Dnm1p-containing structures remain associated with the spherical mitochondria found in an mdm10 mutant strain. In addition, a portion of Dnm1p cofractionates with mitochondrial membranes during differential sedimentation and sucrose gradient fractionation of wild-type cells. Our results demonstrate that Dnm1p is required for the cortical distribution of the mitochondrial network in yeast, a novel function for a dynamin-related protein.

The yeast nascent polypeptide-associated complex initiates protein targeting to mitochondria in vivo.

The yeast nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is encoded by two genes, EGD1 and EGD2, and is associated with cytoplasmic ribosomes. Yeast mutants lacking NAC (Deltaegd2) are viable but suffer slight defects in the targeting of nascent polypeptides to several locations including the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. If both NAC and Mft52p are missing from yeast cells, inefficient targeting of mitochondrial precursor proteins leads to defects in both mitochondrial function and morphology. We suggest that NAC provides a ribosomal environment for nascent mitochondrial targeting sequences to achieve secondary structure, thereby enhancing the efficiency of protein targeting.

Organelle-cytoskeletal interactions: actin mutations inhibit meiosis-dependent mitochondrial rearrangement in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

During early stages of meiosis I, yeast mitochondria fuse to form a single continuous thread. Thereafter, portions of the mitochondrial thread are equally distributed to daughter cells. Using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and a membrane potential sensing dye, mitochondria are resolved as small particles at the cell periphery in pre-meiotic, living yeast. These organelles display low levels of movement. During meiosis I, we observed a threefold increase in mitochondrial motility. Mitochondrial movements were linear, occurred at a maximum velocity of 25 +/- 6.7 nm/s, and resulted in organelle collision and fusion to form elongated tubular structures. Mitochondria do not co-localize with microtubules. Destabilization of microtubules by nocodazole treatment has no significant effect on the rate and extent of thread formation. In contrast, yeast bearing temperature-sensitive mutations in the actin-encoding ACT1 gene (act1-3 and act1-133) exhibit abnormal mitochondrial aggregation, fragmentation, and enlargement as well as loss of mitochondrial motility. In act1-3 cells, mitochondrial defects and actin delocalization occur only at restrictive temperatures. The act1-133 mutation, which perturbs the myosin-binding site of actin without significantly affecting actin cytoskeletal structure in meiotic yeast, results in mitochondrial morphology and motility defects at restrictive and permissive temperatures. These studies support a role for the actin cytoskeleton in the control of mitochondrial position and movements in meiotic yeast.