Prohibitins are ubiquitous, abundant and evolutionarily strongly conserved proteins that play a role in important cellular processes. Using blue native electrophoresis we have demonstrated that human prohibitin and Bap37 together form a large complex in the mitochondrial inner membrane. This complex is similar in size to the yeast complex formed by the homologues Phb1p and Phb2p. In yeast, levels of this complex are increased on co‐overexpression of both Phb1p and Phb2p, suggesting that these two proteins are the only components of the complex. Pulse–chase experiments with mitochondria isolated from phb1/phb2‐null and PHB1/2 overexpressing cells show that the Phb1/2 complex is able to stabilize newly synthesized mitochondrial translation products. This stabilization probably occurs through a direct interaction because association of mitochondrial translation products with the Phb1/2 complex could be demonstrated. The fact that Phb1/2 is a large multimeric complex, which provides protection of native peptides against proteolysis, suggests a functional homology with protein chaperones with respect to their ability to hold and prevent misfolding of newly synthesized proteins.
Cellular senescence is determined by multiple factors, including the genetic regulation of metabolism and responses to endogenous and exogenous stresses [1-4]. Recent studies implicate a limited number of gene products in elongating lifespan in yeast and Caenorhabditis elegans [2-4]; these include the C, elegans gene cik-1, a central regulator of metabolism [5], and yeast RAS2, which controls the response to ultraviolet irradiation and other stresses [3]. Another gene postulated to effect senescence is PHB1, the yeast homologue of prohibitin [3], a rodent gene initially identified as a potential regulator of growth arrest and tumour suppressor [6-8]. Highly conserved prohibitin homologues have been identified in mammals [9], Drosophila [10], C. elegans [9], plants [11] and yeast. A second mammalian gene, encoding BAP37, a protein with sequence similarity to prohibitin, is thought to be involved in lymphocyte function [9]. Here, we show that the nuclear-encoded mammalian prohibitin and BAP37 proteins are present in mitochondria, are co-expressed, and interact physically with each other. Deletion of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologues, PHB1 and PHB2, results in a decreased replicative lifespan and a defect in mitochondrial membrane potential. Our observations highlight the relationship between the metabolic efficiency of cells and the ageing process, and provide evidence for its evolutionary conservation.
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