title: The translocator maintenance protein Tam41 is required for mitochondrial cardiolipin biosynthesis.
abstract: The mitochondrial inner membrane contains different translocator systems for the import of presequence-carrying proteins and carrier proteins. The translocator assembly and maintenance protein 41 (Tam41/mitochondrial matrix protein 37) was identified as a new member of the mitochondrial protein translocator systems by its role in maintaining the integrity and activity of the presequence translocase of the inner membrane (TIM23 complex). Here we demonstrate that the assembly of proteins imported by the carrier translocase, TIM22 complex, is even more strongly affected by the lack of Tam41. Moreover, respiratory chain supercomplexes and the inner membrane potential are impaired by lack of Tam41. The phenotype of Tam41-deficient mitochondria thus resembles that of mitochondria lacking cardiolipin. Indeed, we found that Tam41 is required for the biosynthesis of the dimeric phospholipid cardiolipin. The pleiotropic effects of the translocator maintenance protein on preprotein import and respiratory chain can be attributed to its role in biosynthesis of mitochondrial cardiolipin.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Zellforschung, Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kutik
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rissler
authors.forename: Xue Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guiard
authors.forename: Guanghou
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shui
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gebert
authors.forename: Philip N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Heacock
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rehling
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dowhan
authors.forename: Markus R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wenk
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pfanner
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wiedemann
mesh_terms: D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000090622:Mitochondrial Precursor Protein Import Complex Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002308:Cardiolipins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000090622:Mitochondrial Precursor Protein Import Complex Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C514109:TAM41 protein, S cerevisiae; C102549:TIM22 protein, S cerevisiae; C083081:TIM23 protein, S cerevisiae