Elucidation of the mechanism of the control of protein trafficking at mitochondrial membranes

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22227003
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Structural biochemistry
• Research Institution: Kyoto Sangyo University (2013, 2015); Nagoya University (2010-2012, 2014)
• Principal Investigator: ENDO Toshiya 京都産業大学, 総合生命科学部, 教授 (70152014)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TAMURA Yasushi 山形大学, 理学部, 准教授 (50631876)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NISHIKAWA Shuh-ichi 新潟大学, 理学部, 教授 (10252222)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ミトコンドリア / 酵母 / トランスロケータ / 膜透過 / 部位特異的光架橋 / ERMES / 脂質輸送 / TOM複合体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The protein trafficking as well as lipid trafficking systems at mitochondrial membranes were analyzed to elucidate the mechanisms of their functions. By using site-specific photocrosslinking, the outer membrane translocator TOM complex was analyzed for its inter-subunit and subunit-precursor interactions and the dynamic assembly structures were revealed. Cellular mechanisms to clear the mitochondrial translocon clogged by non-stop proteins arising form mRNA lacking a stop codon were revealed. Tam41 at the mitochondrial inner membrane was found to be a key enzyme for the cardiolipin synthetic pathway and the mechanism of phosphatidic acid transport between the outer and inner membranes by Ups1-Mdm35 was elucidated by determination of its high-resolution structures with and without a phosphatidic acid.

Free Research Field

構造生物学及び分子細胞生物学