Signals in bacterial beta-barrel proteins are functional in eukaryotic cells for targeting to and assembly in mitochondria.

ABSTRACT: The outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts harbor beta-barrel proteins. The signals that allow precursors of such proteins to be targeted to mitochondria were not characterized so far. To better understand the mechanism by which beta-barrel precursor proteins are recognized and sorted within eukaryotic cells, we expressed the bacterial beta-barrel proteins PhoE, OmpA, Omp85, and OmpC in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and demonstrated that they were imported into mitochondria. A detailed investigation of the import pathway of PhoE revealed that it is shared with mitochondrial beta-barrel proteins. PhoE interacts initially with surface import receptors, and its further sorting depends on components of the TOB/SAM complex. The bacterial Omp85 and PhoE integrated i

SUBMITTER: Walther DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2650298 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature