Alternative translation initiation augments the human mitochondrial proteome

Lawrence Kazak*, Aurelio Reyes*, Anna L. Duncan, Joanna Rorbach, Stuart R. Wood, Gloria Brea-Calvo, Payam A. Gammage, Alan J. Robinson, Michal Minczuk, Ian J. Holt*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaperJournal articleResearchpeer-review

54 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Alternative translation initiation (ATI) is a mechanism of producing multiple proteins from a single transcript, which in some cases regulates trafficking of proteins to different cellular compartments, including mitochondria. Application of a genome-wide computational screen predicts a cryptic mitochondrial targeting signal for 126 proteins in mouse and man that is revealed when an AUG codon located downstream from the canonical initiator methionine codon is used as a translation start site, which we term downstream ATI (dATI). Experimental evidence in support of dATI is provided by immunoblotting of endogenous truncated proteins enriched in mitochondrial cell fractions or of co-localization with mitochondria using immunocytochemistry. More detailed cellular localization studies establish mitochondrial targeting of a member of the cytosolic poly(A) binding protein family, PABPC5, and of the RNA/DNA helicase PIF1a. The mitochondrial isoform of PABPC5 co- immunoprecipitates with the mitochondrial poly(A) polymerase, and is markedly reduced in abundance when mitochondrial DNA and RNA are depleted, suggesting it plays a role in RNA metabolism in the organelle. Like PABPC5 and PIF1a, most of the candidates identified by the screen are not currently annotated as mitochondrial proteins, and so dATI expands the human mitochondrial proteome.

Original languageEnglish
JournalNucleic Acids Research
Volume41
Issue4
Pages (from-to)2354-2369
Number of pages16
ISSN0305-1048
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2013
Externally publishedYes

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