Regulation of mitochondrial protein import by cytosolic kinases.

06.01.2011

Schmidt O, Harbauer AB, Rao S, Eyrich B, Zahedi RP, Stojanovski D, Schönfisch B, Guiard B, Sickmann A, Pfanner N, Meisinger C.

Cell. 2011;144(2):227-39.

Cell        online article

We report that the main protein entry gate of mitochondria, the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM complex), is phosphorylated by cytosolic kinases—in particular, casein kinase 2 (CK2) and protein kinase A (PKA). CK2 promotes biogenesis of the TOM complex by phosphorylation of two key components, the receptor Tom22 and the import protein Mim1 while PKA phosphorylates Tom70 under nonrespiring conditions, thereby inhibiting its receptor activity.