A New Function in Translocation for the Mitochondrial i-AAA Protease Yme1: Import of Polynucleotide Phosphorylase into the Intermembrane Space

Abstract

Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) is an exoribonuclease and poly(A) polymerase postulated to function in the cytosol and mitochondrial matrix. Prior overexpression studies resulted in PNPase localization to both the cytosol and mitochondria, concurrent with cytosolic RNA degradation and pleiotropic cellular effects, including growth inhibition and apoptosis, that may not reflect a physiologic role for endogenous PNPase. We therefore conducted a mechanistic study of PNPase biogenesis in the mitochondrion. Interestingly, PNPase is localized to the intermembrane space by a novel import pathway. PNPase has a typical N-terminal targeting sequence that is cleaved by the matrix processing peptidase when PNPase engaged the TIM23 translocon at the inner membrane. The i-AAA protease Yme1 mediated translocation of PNPase into the intermembrane space but did not degrade PNPase. In a yeast strain deleted for Yme1 and expressing PNPase, nonimported PNPase accumulated in the cytosol, confirming an in vivo role for Yme1 in PNPase maturation. PNPase localization to the mitochondrial intermembrane space suggests a unique role distinct from its highly conserved function in RNA processing in chloroplasts and bacteria. Furthermore, Yme1 has a new function in protein translocation, indicating that the intermembrane space harbors diverse pathways for protein translocation.

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We thank Thomas Langer (University of Cologne) for providing the Yme1 point mutant strain and Antonis Zervos (University of Central Florida) for providing the Omi protease. We also thank members of the Koehler, Teitell, and van der Bliek labs for stimulating discussions.

This work was supported by NIH grants Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA HD041889 (R.N.R.), Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA GM07185 (J.D.G.), R01GM061721 and R01GM073981 (C.M.K.), and R01CA90571 and R01CA107300 (M.A.T.); by Muscular Dystrophy Association grant 022398 (C.M.K.); by American Heart Association grant 0640076N (C.M.K.); and by a grant from CMISE, a NASA URETI Institute, grant NCC 2-1364 (M.A.T.). C.M.K. is an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association, and M.A.T. is a Scholar of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.