Yeast AEP3p is an accessory factor in initiation of mitochondrial translation.
Initiation of protein synthesis in mitochondria and chloroplasts normally uses a formylated initiator methionyl-tRNA (fMet-tRNA(f)(Met)). However, mitochondrial protein synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae can initiate with nonformylated Met-tRNA(f)(Met), as demonstrated in yeast mutants in which the nuclear gene encoding mitochondrial methionyl-tRNA formyltransferase (FMT1) has been deleted. The role of formylation of the initiator tRNA is not known, but in vitro formylation increases binding of Met-tRNA(f)(Met) to translation initiation factor 2 (IF2). We hypothesize the existence of an accessory factor that assists mitochondrial IF2 (mIF2) in utilizing unformylated Met-tRNA(f)(Met). This accessory factor might be unnecessary when formylated Met-tRNA(f)(Met) is present but becomes essential when only the unformylated species are available. Using a synthetic petite genetic screen in yeast, we identified a mutation in the AEP3 gene that caused a synthetic respiratory-defective phenotype together with Delta fmt1. The same aep3 mutation also caused a synthetic respiratory defect in cells lacking formylated Met-tRNA(f)(Met) due to loss of the MIS1 gene that encodes the mitochondrial C(1)-tetrahydrofolate synthase. The AEP3 gene encodes a peripheral mitochondrial inner membrane protein that stabilizes mitochondrially encoded ATP6/8 mRNA. Here we show that the AEP3 protein (Aep3p) physically interacts with yeast mIF2 both in vitro and in vivo and promotes the binding of unformylated initiator tRNA to yeast mIF2. We propose that Aep3p functions as an accessory initiation factor in mitochondrial protein synthesis.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
Changkeun
C
Lee
Anne S
AS
Tibbetts
Gisela
G
Kramer
Dean R
DR
Appling
D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D019877:Hydroxymethyl and Formyl Transferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D017354:Point Mutation; D011485:Protein Binding; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000737:chemistry; D012358:RNA, Transfer, Met / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
C545722:AEP3 protein, S cerevisiae; D000939:Epitopes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012358:RNA, Transfer, Met; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C024988:tRNA, formylmethionine-; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D019877:Hydroxymethyl and Formyl Transferases; C021561:methionyl-tRNA formyltransferase