MITOCHONDRIAL TRANSLOCATION AND PROCESSING OF THE PRECURSOR TO THE ALPHA-SUBUNIT OF RAT-LIVER SUCCINYL-COA SYNTHETASE

Succinyl-CoA synthetase functions in the mitochondrial matrix as an αβ-dimer. Its constitutive subunits are thus expected to be encoded in the nucleus and synthesized in the cytoplasm as precursors containing signal sequences for mitochondrial translocation. We have previously reported the isolation and sequence of a rat liver cDNA clone (λSCS19) that apparently encodes the cytoplasmic precursor to the α-subunit. Here we report the preparation of mRNA transcripts of this cDNA insert and their in vitro translation to produce labeled protein that can be translocated across the membranes of subsequently added rat liver mitochondria. Translocation is accompanied by proteolytic processing to convert the 34.5-kilodalton precursor to the 32-kilodalton mature form of the subunit. The N-terminal sequence of the mature α-subunit from the GTP-specific isozyme has been determined by sequential Edman degradation and compared with the amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA. This confirms that the cloned sequence encodes the GTP-specific α-subunit, and establishes that the point of cleavage is between histidyl and glycyl residues and that the signal sequence consists of 27 residues. The signal sequence shares characteristics of other mitochondrial targeting sequences that have been elucidated (largely of yeast mitochondrial precursors), including the potential to form an amphiphilic helix. Import is dependent upon the presence of ATP and is inhibited by compounds that diminish mitochondrial membrane potential. Translocation of the precursor is effective for precursor produced by the reticulocyte translation system, but is not seen for the product that is translated by a wheat germ extract, indicating that the latter may lack a factor or component that is necessary for the targeting and import process.