title: Shredding the signal: targeting peptide degradation in mitochondria and chloroplasts.
abstract: The biogenesis and functionality of mitochondria and chloroplasts depend on the constant turnover of their proteins. The majority of mitochondrial and chloroplastic proteins are imported as precursors via their N-terminal targeting peptides. After import, the targeting peptides are cleaved off and degraded. Recent work has elucidated a pathway involved in the degradation of targeting peptides in mitochondria and chloroplasts, with two proteolytic components: the presequence protease (PreP) and the organellar oligopeptidase (OOP). PreP and OOP are specialized in degrading peptides of different lengths, with the substrate restriction being dictated by the structure of their proteolytic cavities. The importance of the intraorganellar peptide degradation is highlighted by the fact that elimination of both oligopeptidases affects growth and development of Arabidopsis thaliana.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: beata.kmiec@dbb.su.se.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kmiec
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Pedro F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: e_glaser@dbb.su.se.
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Glaser
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000378:metabolism; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; C028759:oligopeptidase
keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; chloroplasts; mitochondria; oligopeptidases; peptide degradation; targeting peptides