In a forward genetic screen for interaction with mitochondrial iron carrier proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a hypomorphic mutation of the essential DRE2 gene was found to confer lethality when combined with ⌬mrs3 and ⌬mrs4. The dre2 mutant or Dre2-depleted cells were deficient in cytosolic Fe/S cluster protein activities while maintaining mitochondrial Fe/S clusters. The Dre2 amino acid sequence was evolutionarily conserved, and cysteine motifs (CX 2 CXC and twin CX 2 C) in human and yeast proteins were perfectly aligned. The human Dre2 homolog (implicated in blocking apoptosis and called CIAPIN1 or anamorsin) was able to complement the nonviability of a ⌬dre2 deletion strain. The Dre2 protein with triple hemagglutinin tag was located in the cytoplasm and in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Yeast Dre2 overexpressed and purified from bacteria was brown and exhibited signature absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra, indicating the presence of both [2Fe-2S] and [4Fe-4S] clusters. Thus, Dre2 is an essential conserved Fe/S cluster protein implicated in extramitochondrial Fe/S cluster assembly, similar to other components of the so-called CIA (cytoplasmic Fe/S cluster assembly) pathway although partially localized to the mitochondrial intermembrane space.

Ionizing radiation induces chronic metabolic oxidative stress and a mutator phenotype in hamster fibroblasts that is mediated by H 2 O 2 , but the intracellular source of H 2 O 2 is not well defined. To determine the role of mitochondria in the radiation-induced mutator phenotype, end points of mitochondrial function were determined in unstable (CS-9 and LS-12) and stable (114) hamster fibroblast cell lines derived from GM10115 cells exposed to 10 Gy X rays. Cell lines isolated after irradiation demonstrated a 20-40% loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and an increase in mitochondrial content compared to the parental cell line GM10115. Surprisingly, no differences were observed in steady-state levels of ATP (P > 0.05). Unstable clones demonstrated increased oxygen consumption (two-to threefold; CS-9) and/or increased mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex II activity (twofold; LS-12). Using Western blot analysis and Blue Native gel electrophoresis, a significant increase in complex II subunit B protein levels was observed in LS-12 cells. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation assays revealed evidence of abnormal complex II assembly in LS-12 cells. Treatment of LS-12 cells with an inhibitor of ETC complex II (thenoyltrifluoroacetone) resulted in significant decreases in the steady-state levels of H 2 O 2 and a 50% reduction in mutation frequency as well as a 16% reduction in CAD gene amplification frequency. These data show that radiation-induced genomic instability was accompanied by evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction leading to increased steady-state levels of H 2 O 2 that contributed to increased mutation frequency and gene amplification. These results support the hypothesis that mitochondrial dysfunction originating from complex II can contribute to radiation-induced genomic instability by increasing steady-state levels of reactive oxygen species.

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster biogenesis in mitochondria is an essential process and is conserved from yeast to humans. Several proteins with Fe-S cluster cofactors reside in mitochondria, including aconitase [4Fe-4S] and ferredoxin [2Fe-2S]. We found that mitochondria isolated from wild-type yeast contain a pool of apoaconitase and machinery capable of forming new clusters and inserting them into this endogenous apoprotein pool. These observations allowed us to develop assays to assess the role of nucleotides (GTP and ATP) in cluster biogenesis in mitochondria. We show that Fe-S cluster biogenesis in isolated mitochondria is enhanced by the addition of GTP and ATP. Hydrolysis of both GTP and ATP is necessary, and the addition of ATP cannot circumvent processes that require GTP hydrolysis. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments suggest that GTP must enter into the matrix to exert its effects on cluster biogenesis. Upon import into isolated mitochondria, purified apoferredoxin can also be used as a substrate by the Fe-S cluster machinery in a GTP-dependent manner. GTP is likely required for a common step involved in the cluster biogenesis of aconitase and ferredoxin. To our knowledge this is the first report demonstrating a role of GTP in mitochondrial Fe-S cluster biogenesis.

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) is a highly conserved multifunctional enzyme. It catalyses the transfer of gamma phosphates from nucleoside triphosphates to nucleoside diphosphates by a mechanism that involves formation of an autophosphorylated enzyme intermediate. The phosphate is usually supplied by ATP. NDPK activity in different subcellular compartments may regulate the crucial balance between ATP and GTP or other nucleoside triphosphates. NDPKs are homo-oligomeric proteins and are predominantly localized in the cytosol. In this paper, we demonstrate that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae a small fraction of total NDPK activity encoded by YNK1 is present in the intermembrane space (IMS) of mitochondria, and the corresponding protein Ynk1p in the IMS represents approx. 0.005% of total mitochondrial proteins. Ynk1p, synthesized as a single gene product, must therefore be partitioned between cytoplasm and mitochondrial IMS fractions. A mechanism for this partitioning is suggested by our observations that interaction with a 40 kDa protein of the translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane (Tom40p), occurs preferentially with unfolded, unphosphorylated forms of Ynk1p. A population of newly translated, but not yet folded or autophosphorylated, Ynk1p intermediates may be imported into the IMS of mitochondria and trapped there by subsequent folding and oligomerization. Within the small volume of the IMS, Ynk1p may be more concentrated and may be required to supply GTP to several important proteins in this compartment.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, two mitochondrial inner-membrane proteins play critical roles in organellar morphology. One is a dynamin-related GTPase, Mgm1p, which participates in mitochondrial fusion. Another is Tim11p, which is required for oligomeric assembly of F1Fo-ATP synthase, which generates ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. Our data bring these findings together and define a novel role for Mgm1p in the formation and maintenance of mitochondrial cristae. We show that Mgm1p serves as an upstream regulator of Tim11p protein stability, ATP synthase assembly, cristae morphology and cytochrome c storage within cristae.