Long-lived proteins (LLPs) have recently emerged as vital components of intracellular structures whose function is coupled to long-term stability. Mitochondria are multifaceted organelles, and their ...function hinges on efficient proteome renewal and replacement. Here, using metabolic stable isotope labeling of mice combined with mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis, we demonstrate remarkable longevity for a subset of the mitochondrial proteome. We discovered that mitochondrial LLPs (mt-LLPs) can persist for months in tissues harboring long-lived cells, such as brain and heart. Our analysis revealed enrichment of mt-LLPs within the inner mitochondrial membrane, specifically in the cristae subcompartment, and demonstrates that the mitochondrial proteome is not turned over in bulk. Pioneering cross-linking experiments revealed that mt-LLPs are spatially restricted and copreserved within protein OXPHOS complexes, with limited subunit exchange throughout their lifetimes. This study provides an explanation for the exceptional mitochondrial protein lifetimes and supports the concept that LLPs provide key structural stability to multiple large and dynamic intracellular structures.
Mitochondrial energy conversion requires an intricate architecture of the inner mitochondrial membrane
. Here we show that a supercomplex containing all four respiratory chain components contributes ...to membrane curvature induction in ciliates. We report cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-tomography structures of the supercomplex that comprises 150 different proteins and 311 bound lipids, forming a stable 5.8-MDa assembly. Owing to subunit acquisition and extension, complex I associates with a complex IV dimer, generating a wedge-shaped gap that serves as a binding site for complex II. Together with a tilted complex III dimer association, it results in a curved membrane region. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that the divergent supercomplex actively contributes to the membrane curvature induction and tubulation of cristae. Our findings highlight how the evolution of protein subunits of respiratory complexes has led to the I-II-III
-IV
supercomplex that contributes to the shaping of the bioenergetic membrane, thereby enabling its functional specialization.
Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a mitochondrial flavoprotein that, beyond its apoptotic function, is required for the normal expression of major respiratory chain complexes. Here we identified an ...AIF-interacting protein, CHCHD4, which is the central component of a redox-sensitive mitochondrial intermembrane space import machinery. Depletion or hypomorphic mutation of AIF caused a downregulation of CHCHD4 protein by diminishing its mitochondrial import. CHCHD4 depletion sufficed to induce a respiratory defect that mimicked that observed in AIF-deficient cells. CHCHD4 levels could be restored in AIF-deficient cells by enforcing its AIF-independent mitochondrial localization. This modified CHCHD4 protein reestablished respiratory function in AIF-deficient cells and enabled AIF-deficient embryoid bodies to undergo cavitation, a process of programmed cell death required for embryonic morphogenesis. These findings explain how AIF contributes to the biogenesis of respiratory chain complexes, and they establish an unexpected link between the vital function of AIF and the propensity of cells to undergo apoptosis.
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•AIF interacts with CHCHD4, a regulator of the intermembrane space import machinery•AIF regulates specific respiratory chain complexes by acting upstream of CHCHD4•AIF is indispensable for translation-coupled mitochondrial import of CHCHD4•Restoring CHCHD4 reverses the metabolic and cell death phenotypes of Aif−/y ESCs
Hangen et al. show that the mitochondrial protein AIF regulates the biogenesis of respiratory chain complexes by interacting with, and by controlling the mitochondrial import of the mammalian homolog of yeast MIA40, CHCHD4, which is the central component of a redox-sensitive mitochondrial intermembrane space import machinery.
Throughout much of human history, the vast majority of people lived in small communities. However, in the last few centuries, and particularly in recent decades, there has been a dramatic shift. A ...massive migration has moved populations from rural to urban areas. United Nations reports state that over 4.3 billion individuals now inhabit urban regions, which accounts for more than half (55% as of 2017) of the global population. In most high-income nations, including Western Europe, the Americas, Australia, Japan, and the Middle East, over 80% of people live in urban areas. This figure ranges from 50% to 80% in upper-middle-income countries like Eastern Europe, East Asia, North Africa, South Africa, and South America (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2019). The urban population is anticipated to rise across all countries in the coming decades, albeit at different rates. By 2050, the global population is expected to reach approximately 9.8 billion, with about 6.7 billion residing in cities and 3.1 billion in rural areas. Despite this rapid urbanization, only around 1% of the Earth's land is allocated for urban and infrastructure development. While urbanization has spurred socio-economic growth, it has also led to significant challenges such as traffic congestion and air pollution. In China, the swift growth of cities has notably expanded urban areas and extended the commuting times of residents. The “2022 Commuting Monitoring Report of Major Chinese Cities” reveals that in 2022, over 14 million people in 44 major Chinese cities experienced extreme commuting, with upwards of 13% spending over an hour in transit (Baidu Maps, 2023). Beijing recorded the highest rate, where 26% of commuters faced this issue.
Copper is required for the activity of cytochrome c oxidase (COX), the terminal electron-accepting complex of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The likely source of copper used for COX biogenesis ...is a labile pool found in the mitochondrial matrix. In mammals, the proteins that transport copper across the inner mitochondrial membrane remain unknown. We previously reported that the mitochondrial carrier family protein Pic2 in budding yeast is a copper importer. The closest Pic2 ortholog in mammalian cells is the mitochondrial phosphate carrier SLC25A3. Here, to investigate whether SLC25A3 also transports copper, we manipulated its expression in several murine and human cell lines. SLC25A3 knockdown or deletion consistently resulted in an isolated COX deficiency in these cells, and copper addition to the culture medium suppressed these biochemical defects. Consistent with a conserved role for SLC25A3 in copper transport, its heterologous expression in yeast complemented copper-specific defects observed upon deletion of PIC2. Additionally, assays in Lactococcus lactis and in reconstituted liposomes directly demonstrated that SLC25A3 functions as a copper transporter. Taken together, these data indicate that SLC25A3 can transport copper both in vitro and in vivo.
A ubiquitous feature of neurotransmitter transporters is the presence of short C-terminal PDZ binding motifs acting as important trafficking elements. Depending on their very C-terminal sequences, ...PDZ binding motifs are usually divided into at least three groups; however this classification has recently been questioned. To introduce a 3D aspect into transporter's PDZ motif similarities, we compared their interactions with the natural collection of all 13 PDZ domains of the largest PDZ binding protein MUPP1. The GABA, glycine and serotonin transporters showed unique binding preferences scattered over one or several MUPP1 domains. On the contrary, the dopamine and norepinephrine transporter PDZ motifs did not show any significant affinity to MUPP1 domains. Interestingly, despite their terminal sequence diversity all three GABA transporter PDZ motifs interacted with MUPP1 domain 7. These results indicate that similarities in binding schemes of individual transporter groups might exist. Results also suggest the existence of variable PDZ binding modes, allowing several transporters to interact with identical PDZ domains and potentially share interaction partners in vivo.
This paper examines governance responses to Mobility as a Service (MaaS). The analysis focuses on the interactions between public transport systems and MaaS developments in Amsterdam, Birmingham, and ...Helsinki. Case comparison is informed by the multilevel perspective on socio-technical transitions and literature on meta-governance of networks. Drawing on these frameworks and empirical findings, the paper identifies six governance approaches to MaaS across cases: analyser, architect, convener, experimenter, lawmaker, and provider. These basic models encompass strategies ranging from hands-on strong intervention to information collection efforts. Consistent with the transitions literature, these six approaches indicate that public transport regimes seek to control the apparent disruptive potential of MaaS by incrementally absorbing innovations; to this end, regime actors adopt governance responses that tend to reproduce existing institutionalised ways of doing and prevailing logics. Furthermore, the six approaches reveal intense interaction between regime and niche, suggesting that a niche-regime space might have emerged in the cases; actors travel and operate across niche, regime, and niche-regimes, mainly driven by concerns with market share and revenue streams in the mobility system.
Solute carriers (SLCs) are the largest family of transmembrane transporters in humans and are major determinants of cellular metabolism. Several SLCs have been shown to be required for the uptake of ...chemical compounds into cellular systems, but systematic surveys of transporter-drug relationships in human cells are currently lacking. We performed a series of genetic screens in a haploid human cell line against 60 cytotoxic compounds representative of the chemical space populated by approved drugs. By using an SLC-focused CRISPR-Cas9 library, we identified transporters whose absence induced resistance to the drugs tested. This included dependencies involving the transporters SLC11A2/SLC16A1 for artemisinin derivatives and SLC35A2/SLC38A5 for cisplatin. The functional dependence on SLCs observed for a significant proportion of the screened compounds suggests a widespread role for SLCs in the uptake and cellular activity of cytotoxic drugs and provides an experimentally validated set of SLC-drug associations for a number of clinically relevant compounds.
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