title: The nuclear-encoded SDH2-RPS14 precursor is proteolytically processed between SDH2 and RPS14 to generate maize mitochondrial RPS14.
abstract: In maize, the functional gene encoding mitochondrial ribosomal protein S14 (rps14) has been translocated to the nucleus where it became integrated between both exons of a gene encoding the iron-sulfur subunit of succinate dehydrogenase (sdh2). Two transcripts are generated from this locus by alternative splicing. One transcript encodes a precursor for a functional SDH2 protein, while the second transcript encodes a chimeric SDH2(t)-RPS14 precursor protein. In this paper we show that the same mitochondrial targeting presequence is able to direct the import of both precursors into isolated mitochondria and is removed during import. This processing event generates a 28 kDa protein from the SDH2 precursor, which corresponds to the iron-sulfur subunit of respiratory complex II present in maize mitochondria. In addition to cleavage of the presequence, the chimeric precursor undergoes proteolytical processing between SDH2 and RPS14. This processing generates RPS14, which is found assembled into mitochondrial ribosomes, and a truncated SDH2 protein which is degraded. Therefore, our results support a role of the SDH2 domain in the chimeric precursor only in providing a mitochondrial targeting function for RPS14.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holuigue
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araya
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jordana
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005091:Exons; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; C039747:ribosomal protein S14; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase