Mitochondrial proteins articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Studying subcellular proteomes in primary living cells is crucial for understanding health and disease. Here, the authors introduce CAT-S, a non-genetic method based on photocatalysis, enabling in situ deciphering of mitochondrial proteomes in primary cells from mouse tissues and human blood.

    • Ziqi Liu
    • , Fuhu Guo
    •  & Xinyuan Fan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Structural and functional studies highlight the molecular regulation of assembling the mitochondrial division machinery. The core unit is closed, and specific interactions open this unit to facilitate assembly at the right place and time in cells.

    • Kristy Rochon
    • , Brianna L. Bauer
    •  & Jason A. Mears

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mitochondrial biogenesis and maintenance relies on protein import from the cytosol. Here, authors show that import failure impacts organelle structure and dynamics. They also identify a rescue mechanism involving intercellular mitochondrial transfer.

    • Hope I. Needs
    • , Emily Glover
    •  & Ian Collinson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The human tumor suppressor p53 interacts with the BCL-2 family proteins to regulate apoptosis. Here, the authors solve the structures of p53 in complex with the antiapoptotic protein BCL-2 and suggest a mechanism by which p53 promotes apoptosis by competitively antagonizing the interaction of BCL-2 with pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins.

    • Hudie Wei
    • , Haolan Wang
    •  & Yongheng Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mitochondrial ATP synthase produces the bulk of cellular ATP. Here, the authors report a function of the mitochondrial Hsp70 in the formation of the catalytical head and in its assembly with the peripheral stalk to form the mature ATP synthase.

    • Jiyao Song
    • , Liesa Steidle
    •  & Thomas Becker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The TOM and TIM23 complexes facilitate the transport of nuclear-encoded proteins into the mitochondrial matrix. Here, the authors use a stalled client protein to purify the translocation supercomplex and gain insight into the TOM-TIM23 interface and the mechanism of protein handover from the TOM to the TIM23 complex.

    • Ridhima Gomkale
    • , Andreas Linden
    •  & Peter Rehling

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The nature of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) is still under debate. Here, through genetically modified F-ATP synthase, the authors show that PTP formation can be mediated by F-ATP synthase or by adenine nucleotide translocator, suggesting the existence of distinct but related permeability pathways.

    • Andrea Carrer
    • , Ludovica Tommasin
    •  & Paolo Bernardi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mitochondrial transport toward both the plus- and minus-ends of microtubules is mediated by motor proteins linked to mitochondria by TRAK adaptor proteins. Here the authors investigate the role of TRAK2 as a bidirectional motor adaptor, and propose a model where TRAK2 coordinates the activities of opposing kinesin-1 and cytoplasmic dynein motors as a single interdependent motor complex.

    • Adam R. Fenton
    • , Thomas A. Jongens
    •  & Erika L. F. Holzbaur

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Human manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is an oxidoreductase that uses concerted proton and electron transfers to reduce the levels of superoxide radicals in mitochondria, but mechanistic insights into this process are limited. Here, the authors report neutron crystal structures of Mn3+SOD and Mn2+SOD, revealing changes in the protonation states of key residues in the enzyme active site during the redox cycle.

    • Jahaun Azadmanesh
    • , William E. Lutz
    •  & Gloria E. O. Borgstahl

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is a multienzyme complex connecting glycolysis to mitochondrial oxidation of pyruvate. Cryo-EM analysis of PDC from Neurospora crassa reveals localization of fungi-specific protein X (PX) and confirms that it functions like the mammalian E3BP, recruiting the E3 component of PDC.

    • B. O. Forsberg
    • , S. Aibara
    •  & E. Lindahl

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cells trigger an unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum, but its regulation by mitochondria is unclear. Here, the authors report a 54-residue microprotein PIGBOS that participates in inter-organelle contact between the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria and may regulate UPR.

    • Qian Chu
    • , Thomas F. Martinez
    •  & Alan Saghatelian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is synthesized by four separate pathways, although surprisingly, perturbing mitochondrial PE synthesis compromises mitochondrial function. Here, the authors show that mitochondrial PE synthesis is required for Complex III function and challenge PE trafficking dogma.

    • Elizabeth Calzada
    • , Erica Avery
    •  & Steven M. Claypool

  • Article
    | Open Access

    BAX and BAK are pro-apoptotic proteins whose activity is essential for the action of many anti-cancer drugs and to suppress tumorigenesis. Here, the authors perform a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen and identify VDAC2 as a promoter of BAX-mediated apoptosis that is important for an efficient chemotherapeutic response and to suppress tumor formation.

    • Hui San Chin
    • , Mark X. Li
    •  & Grant Dewson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Proton pumping of mitochondrial complex I depends on the reduction of ubiquinone but the molecular mechanism of energy conversion is unclear. Here, the authors provide structural and biochemical evidence showing that movement of loop TMH1-2 in complex I subunit ND3 is required to drive proton pumping.

    • Alfredo Cabrera-Orefice
    • , Etienne Galemou Yoga
    •  & Ulrich Brandt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mitochondrial TIM23-complex facilitates anterograde precursor transport across the inner membrane into the matrix and lateral release of precursors into the membrane. Here authors show that the import motor J-protein Pam18 controls lateral protein release into the lipid bilayer.

    • Alexander Benjamin Schendzielorz
    • , Piotr Bragoszewski
    •  & Peter Rehling

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cysteine hydropersulfides (CysSSH) are believed to have a cellular redox protective role. Here the authors show that these species can be produced from L-cysteine by cysteinyl-tRNA synthetases and that these enzymes are also involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and bioenergetics regulation.

    • Takaaki Akaike
    • , Tomoaki Ida
    •  & Hozumi Motohashi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A metabolon is a complex of sequential metabolic enzymes that channels substrates directly between enzymes, thus optimizing metabolic flux. Here Zhanget al. provide protein interaction and isotope dilution data that support the existence of a metabolon that channels both citrate and fumarate in the plant TCA cycle.

    • Youjun Zhang
    • , Katherine F. M. Beard
    •  & Toshihiro Obata

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mitochondrial β-barrel proteins are synthesized in the cytosol before being targeted to the organelle. Here, Jores et al.show that a specialized hydrophobic β-hairpin motif is the previously undefined targeting sequence and is recognized by the mitochondrial outer membrane translocase.

    • Tobias Jores
    • , Anna Klinger
    •  & Doron Rapaport

  • Article
    | Open Access

    F1FO ATP synthase is a critical enzyme for the maintenance of mitochondrial function. Here the authors demonstrate that loss of the F1FO-ATP synthase subunit OSCP and the interaction of OSCP with Aβ peptide in Alzheimer’s disease patients and mouse models lead to F1FO-ATP synthase deregulation and disruption of synaptic mitochondrial function.

    • Simon J. Beck
    • , Lan Guo
    •  & Heng Du

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Aerobic glycolysis and diminished oxidative phosphorylation exhibited by tumour cells enables the production of energy necessary to support malignant proliferation. Here the authors show that UCP3 promotes mitochondrial uncoupling and prevents tumorigenesis through a mitochondrially-driven pathway of AKT inhibition.

    • Sara M. Nowinski
    • , Ashley Solmonson
    •  & Edward M. Mills

  • Article
    | Open Access

    During mitosis, mitochondria partition into daughter cells through microtubule-based transport. Here the authors show that the mitochondrial protein Miro and the cytoskeletal-associated protein Cenp-F interact in a cell-cycle dependent manner to promote microtubule-directed movement of mitochondria.

    • Gil Kanfer
    • , Thibault Courthéoux
    •  & Benoît Kornmann

  • Article |

    The chemical honokiol is found in the bark of magnolia trees, which are used for traditional medicine in Asian countries. Here, Pillai et al, show honokiol protects the heart from hypertrophic remodelling in mice, and even reverses established cardiac hypertrophy, by activating the deacetylase Sirt3.

    • Vinodkumar B. Pillai
    • , Sadhana Samant
    •  & Mahesh P. Gupta

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Protein translocation into the mitochondrion is a conserved process in all eukaryotes. Here, Mani et al. describe a non-conventional translocase complex in Trypanosoma bruceiand propose that protein import receptors were recruited to the core complex after the divergence of the major eukaryotic supergroups.

    • Jan Mani
    • , Silvia Desy
    •  & André Schneider

  • Article |

    Mice overexpressing the mitochondrial protein MitoNEET in white adipose tissue (WAT) are very fat but metabolically healthy. Here the authors study the physiological consequences of MitoNEET overexpression in WAT, showing that this triggers an initial browning and that the subsequently expanded WAT is less fibrotic.

    • Christine M. Kusminski
    • , Jiyoung Park
    •  & Philipp E. Scherer

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