Mft52, an acid-bristle protein in the cytosol that delivers precursor proteins to yeast mitochondria

Peter Cartwright, Traude Beilharz, Per Hansen, Jinnie Garrett, Trevor Lithgow

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We have identified a novel protein, Mft52, in the cytosol of yeast cells. Mft52 has a two-domain structure that includes a receptor-like carboxyl-terminal 'acid-bristle' domain, which binds basic, amphipathic mitochondrial targeting sequences. Native Mft52, purified from the cytosol of yeast cells, is found as a large particle eluting in the void volume of a Superose 6 gel filtration column. Fusion proteins, consisting of mitochondrial targeting sequences fused to nonmitochondrial passenger proteins, are targeted to mitochondria in wild-type yeast cells, but defects in the gene encoding Mft52 drastically reduce the delivery of these proteins to the mitochondria. We propose that Mft52 is a subunit of a particle that is part of a system of targeting factors and molecular chaperones mediating the earliest stages of protein targeting to the mitochondria.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5320-5325
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume272
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Feb 1997
Externally publishedYes

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