Mechanisms of protein sorting in mitochondria

01.10.2012

Stojanovski D, Bohnert M, Pfanner N, van der Laan M.

Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2012;4(10)

Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol.            online article

Proteomic studies revealed that mitochondria contain more than 1,000 different proteins. Virtually all of these proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and synthesized by cytosolic ribosomes as precursor proteins with specific mitochondrial targeting signals. These signal sequences direct precursor proteins to one of the mitochondrial subcompartments: outer membrane, inner membrane, intermembrane space, and matrix. In this article, we describe our current knowledge about the intricate protein import machineries from all the different compartments that are required for correct and efficient protein sorting in mitochondria and discuss their regulation in response to the metabolic and developmental state the cell.