Link between mitochondrial biogenesis, cellular metabolism and cell cycle regulation

PD Dr. Nils Wiedemann and Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Pfanner (Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ZBMZ, and BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg)

Mitochondria are cell organelles crucial for the respiratory energy metabolism of eukaryotic cells providing adenosine triphosphate for energy dependent reactions of the cellular metabolism. However, the vast mayority of the roughly 1000 mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nucleus and translated in the cytosol. The main mitochondrial entry gate, the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) is required for the import of those precursor proteins from the cyosol into mitochondria. During the cell cycle mitochondrial biogenesis is required to build mitochondria for cell devision. In this project we want to determine how mitochondrial protein biogenesis is linked to the cell cycle. These studies will be complemented by the analysis of yeast at different metabolic states to define the activity of mitochondrial outer membrane machineries and the participating signalling pathways.