BIOSS
Centre for Biological Signalling Studies

Processing of mitochondrial presequences.

07.12.2011

Mossmann D, Meisinger C, Vögtle FN.

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012; 1819(9-10):1098-106

Biochim Biophys Acta.        online article

The majority of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial precursors and also mitochondrial-encoded preproteins have an N-terminal presequence that serves as a targeting sequence. Specific presequence peptidases that are found in the matrix, inner membrane and intermembrane space of mitochondria proteolytically remove the signal sequence upon import or sorting. Besides the classical presequence peptidases MPP, IMP and Oct1, several novel proteases have recently been described to possess precursor processing activity, and analysis of their functional relevance revealed a tight connection between precursor processing, mitochondrial dynamics and protein quality control.