title: A receptor for the import of proteins into human mitochondria.
abstract: We have characterised a 16.3-kDa human protein that functions as a receptor for the import of preproteins into mitochondria. Based on amino acid sequence alignments, the protein (hMas20p) is 41% similar to Mas20p (20-kDa mitochondrial assembly protein) from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and 38% similar to MOM19 (19-kDa mitochondrial outer-membrane protein) from Neurospora crassa. hMas20p has a putative N-terminal transmembrane sequence of 29 amino acids and an acidic C-terminus. A 13-kDa fragment [des-(1-29)-hMas20p], which lacks the 29-amino acid putative N-terminal transmembrane domain, is soluble when expressed in Escherichia coli. Antibodies produced against this domain crossreacted with a protein of 16 kDa in outer membranes of mitochondria from rat liver and inhibited import of protein into isolated mitochondria from rat liver. In addition, the recombinant soluble domain folds into a functional structure as it competes with hMas20p on the mitochondrial surface for precursor binding, confirming the functional role of hMas20p in the import of preproteins into mitochondria.
authors.affiliation: School of Biochemistry, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nuttal
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hoogenraad
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001692:Biological Transport; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000090622:Mitochondrial Precursor Protein Import Complex Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000090622:Mitochondrial Precursor Protein Import Complex Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C489350:TOM20 protein, S cerevisiae; C084008:TOMM20 protein, human; C489998:Tomm20 protein, rat