Mmm1p, a Mitochondrial Outer Membrane Protein, Is Connected to Mitochondrial DNA (Mtdna) Nucleoids and Required for Mtdna Stability

• DOI: 10.1083/jcb.152.2.401
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T16:46:23Z
• Authors: Alyson E. Aiken H...; Maithreyan Sriniv...; J. Michael McCaffery; Robert E. Jensen
• Keywords: Nucleoid; Mitochondrial carrier; Mitochondrial apoptosis-induced channel; DNAJA3; Organelle

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mitochondria form a branched, tubular reticulum in periphery of cell. Mmm1p is required to maintain normal mitochondrial shape and mmm1 mutants large, spherical organelles. To further explore function, we examined localization Mmm1p–green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion living cells. We found that Mmm1p-GFP located small, punctate structures on outer membrane, adjacent subset matrix-localized DNA nucleoids. also temperature-sensitive mmm1-1 mutant was defective transmission daughter cells immediately after shift restrictive temperature. Normal nucleoid structure collapsed at nonpermissive temperature with similar kinetics. Moreover, inner membrane dramatically disorganized disruption strains. propose part connection between membranes, anchoring nucleoids matrix.