ATP-dependent Proteolysis in Mitochondria

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry 1998-08, Vol.273 (32), p.20596-20602
• Main Authors: Savel'ev, Alexander S., Novikova, Ludmila A., Kovaleva, Irina E., Luzikov, Valentin N., Neupert, Walter, Langer, Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.273.32.20596

To analyze protein degradation in mitochondria and the role of molecular chaperone proteins in this process, bovine apocytochrome P450scc was employed as a model protein. When imported into isolated yeast mitochondria, P450scc was mislocalized to the matrix and rapidly degraded. This proteolytic breakdown was mediated by the ATP-dependent PIM1 protease, a Lon-like protease in the mitochondrial matrix, in cooperation with the mtHsp70 system. In addition, a derivative of P450scc was studied to which a heterologous transmembrane region was fused at the amino terminus. This protein became anchored to the inner membrane upon import and was degraded by the membrane-embedded, ATP-dependent m-AAA protease. Again, degradation depended on the mtHsp70 system; it was inhibited at non-permissive temperature in mitochondria carrying temperature-sensitive mutant forms of Ssc1p, Mdj1p, or Mge1p. These results demonstrate overlapping substrate specificities of PIM1 and them-AAA protease, and they assign a central role to the mtHsp70 system during the degradation of misfolded polypeptides by both proteases.