Susanne E. Horvath

Lipids of mitochondria.

A unique organelle for studying membrane biochemistry is the mitochondrion whose functionality depends on a coordinated supply of proteins and lipids. Mitochondria are capable of synthesizing several lipids autonomously such as phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin and in part phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidic acid and CDP-diacylglycerol. Other mitochondrial membrane lipids such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, sterols and sphingolipids have to be imported. The mitochondrial lipid composition, the biosynthesis and the import of mitochondrial lipids as well as the regulation of these processes will be main issues of this review article. Furthermore, interactions of lipids and mitochondrial proteins which are highly important for various mitochondrial processes will be discussed. Malfunction or loss of enzymes involved in mitochondrial phospholipid biosynthesis lead to dysfunction of cell respiration, affect the assembly and stability of the mitochondrial protein import machinery and cause abnormal mitochondrial morphology or even lethality. Molecular aspects of these processes as well as diseases related to defects in the formation of mitochondrial membranes will be described.

Phosphatidylethanolamine and Cardiolipin Differentially Affect the Stability of Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Supercomplexes

The mitochondrial inner membrane contains two non-bilayer‐forming phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and cardiolipin (CL). Lack of CL leads to destabilization of respiratory chain supercomplexes, a reduced activity of cytochrome c oxidase, and a reduced inner membrane potential Δψ. Although PE is more abundant than CL in the mitochondrial inner membrane, its role in biogenesis and assembly of inner membrane complexes is unknown. We report that similar to the lack of CL, PE depletion resulted in a decrease of Δψ and thus in an impaired import of preproteins into and across the inner membrane. The respiratory capacity and in particular the activity of cytochrome c oxidase were impaired in PE-depleted mitochondria, leading to the decrease of Δψ. In contrast to depletion of CL, depletion of PE did not destabilize respiratory chain supercomplexes but favored the formation of larger supercomplexes (megacomplexes) between the cytochrome bc1 complex and the cytochrome c oxidase. We conclude that both PE and CL are required for a full activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and the efficient generation of the inner membrane potential. The mechanisms, however, are different since these non-bilayer‐forming phospholipids exert opposite effects on the stability of respiratory chain supercomplexes.

Role of MINOS in protein biogenesis of the mitochondrial outer membrane

The mitochondrial inner membrane organizing system (MINOS) is a large protein complex required for maintaining inner membrane architecture. We report that MINOS independently interacts with both preprotein translocases of the outer mitochondrial membrane and plays a role in the biogenesis of β-barrel proteins of the outer membrane.

Mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system

Mitochondria possess two membranes of different architecture. The outer membrane surrounds the organelle, whereas the inner membrane consists of two domains. The inner boundary membrane that is adjacent to the outer membrane harbors many protein translocases. The inner membrane cristae form deep invaginations that carry respiratory chain complexes and the ATP synthase. It has remained enigmatic how crista junctions that connect inner boundary membrane and cristae are formed. The identification of a large protein complex, the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS), provided important insights. MICOS is a multi-subunit machinery with two core components, Mic10 and Mic60, organized into subcomplexes. The Mic10-containing subcomplex forms the structural basis of crista junctions, whereas the Mic60-containing subcomplex is crucial for connecting mitochondrial inner and outer membranes at contact sites. Numerous diseases have been directly or indirectly linked to MICOS. MICOS forms a network of interactions with further mitochondrial machineries and can be seen as an organizing center of mitochondrial architecture and biogenesis.

Central role of mic10 in the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system

The mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) is a conserved multi-subunit complex crucial for maintaining the characteristic architecture of mitochondria. Studies with deletion mutants identified Mic10 and Mic60 as core subunits of MICOS. Mic60 has been studied in detail; however, topogenesis and function of Mic10 are unknown. We report that targeting of Mic10 to the mitochondrial inner membrane requires a positively charged internal loop, but no cleavable presequence. Both transmembrane segments of Mic10 carry a characteristic four-glycine motif, which has been found in the ring-forming rotor subunit of F1Fo-ATP synthases. Overexpression of Mic10 profoundly alters the architecture of the inner membrane independently of other MICOS components. The four-glycine motifs are dispensable for interaction of Mic10 with other MICOS subunits but are crucial for the formation of large Mic10 oligomers. Our studies identify a unique role of Mic10 oligomers in promoting the formation of inner membrane crista junctions.

Processing and Topology of the Yeast Mitochondrial Phosphatidylserine Decarboxylase 1

Background: Although phosphatidylserine decarboxylase 1 (Psd1) is of central importance for the generation of cellular phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), its biogenesis is only poorly understood. Results: Biogenesis of Psd1 involves processing by two proteases, MPP and Oct1, and an autocatalytic separation of Psd1α from the membrane-anchored Psd1β. Conclusion: Psd1 requires integration into the inner mitochondrial membrane for full enzymatic activity. Significance: This study presents a new model for the biogenesis and topology of Psd1. The inner mitochondrial membrane plays a crucial role in cellular lipid homeostasis through biosynthesis of the non-bilayer-forming lipids phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the majority of cellular phosphatidylethanolamine is synthesized by the mitochondrial phosphatidylserine decarboxylase 1 (Psd1). The biogenesis of Psd1 involves several processing steps. It was speculated that the Psd1 precursor is sorted into the inner membrane and is subsequently released into the intermembrane space by proteolytic removal of a hydrophobic sorting signal. However, components involved in the maturation of the Psd1 precursor have not been identified. We show that processing of Psd1 involves the action of the mitochondrial processing peptidase and Oct1 and an autocatalytic cleavage at a highly conserved LGST motif yielding the α- and β-subunit of the enzyme. The Psd1 β-subunit (Psd1β) forms the membrane anchor, which binds the intermembrane space-localized α-subunit (Psd1α). Deletion of a transmembrane segment in the β-subunit results in mislocalization of Psd1 and reduced enzymatic activity. Surprisingly, autocatalytic cleavage does not depend on proper localization to the inner mitochondrial membrane. In summary, membrane integration of Psd1 is crucial for its functionality and for maintenance of mitochondrial lipid homeostasis.

Metabolic link between phosphatidylethanolamine and triacylglycerol metabolism in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae triacylglycerols (TAG) are synthesized by the acyl-CoA dependent acyltransferases Dga1p, Are1p, Are2p and the acyl-CoA independent phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT) Lro1p which uses phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) as a preferred acyl donor. In the present study we investigated a possible link between TAG and PE metabolism by analyzing the contribution of the four different PE biosynthetic pathways to TAG formation, namely de novo PE synthesis via Psd1p and Psd2p, the CDP-ethanolamine (CDP-Etn) pathway and lyso-PE acylation by Ale1p. In cells grown on the non-fermentable carbon source lactate supplemented with 5 mM ethanolamine (Etn) the CDP-Etn pathway contributed most to the cellular TAG level, whereas mutations in the other pathways displayed only minor effects. In cki1∆dpl1∆eki1∆ mutants bearing defects in the CDP-Etn pathway both the cellular and the microsomal levels of PE were markedly decreased, whereas in other mutants of PE biosynthetic routes depletion of this aminoglycerophospholipid was less pronounced in microsomes. This observation is important because Lro1p similar to the enzymes of the CDP-Etn pathway is a component of the ER. We conclude from these results that in cki1∆dpl1∆eki1∆ insufficient supply of PE to the PDAT Lro1p was a major reason for the strongly reduced TAG level. Moreover, we found that Lro1p activity was markedly decreased in cki1∆dpl1∆eki1∆, although transcription of LRO1 was not affected. Our findings imply that (i) TAG and PE syntheses in the yeast are tightly linked; and (ii) TAG formation by the PDAT Lro1p strongly depends on PE synthesis through the CDP-Etn pathway. Moreover, it is very likely that local availability of PE in microsomes is crucial for TAG synthesis through the Lro1p reaction.

Role of membrane contact sites in protein import into mitochondria

Mitochondria import more than 1,000 different proteins from the cytosol. The proteins are synthesized as precursors on cytosolic ribosomes and are translocated by protein transport machineries of the mitochondrial membranes. Five main pathways for protein import into mitochondria have been identified. Most pathways use the translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOM) as the entry gate into mitochondria. Depending on specific signals contained in the precursors, the proteins are subsequently transferred to different intramitochondrial translocases. In this article, we discuss the connection between protein import and mitochondrial membrane architecture. Mitochondria possess two membranes. It is a long‐standing question how contact sites between outer and inner membranes are formed and which role the contact sites play in the translocation of precursor proteins. A major translocation contact site is formed between the TOM complex and the presequence translocase of the inner membrane (TIM23 complex), promoting transfer of presequence‐carrying preproteins to the mitochondrial inner membrane and matrix. Recent findings led to the identification of contact sites that involve the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) of the inner membrane. MICOS plays a dual role. It is crucial for maintaining the inner membrane cristae architecture and forms contacts sites to the outer membrane that promote translocation of precursor proteins into the intermembrane space and outer membrane of mitochondria. The view is emerging that the mitochondrial protein translocases do not function as independent units, but are embedded in a network of interactions with machineries that control mitochondrial activity and architecture.

Role of Phosphatidylethanolamine in the Biogenesis of Mitochondrial Outer Membrane Proteins

Background: It is unknown if phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), the major non-bilayer-forming mitochondrial phospholipid, is involved in the biogenesis of outer membrane proteins. Results: Depletion of PE impairs import of β-barrel proteins by the outer membrane translocase TOM. Conclusion: PE is required for full activity but not stability of TOM. Significance: PE plays a different role in the biogenesis of mitochondrial outer membrane proteins compared with cardiolipin. The mitochondrial outer membrane contains proteinaceous machineries for the import and assembly of proteins, including TOM (translocase of the outer membrane) and SAM (sorting and assembly machinery). It has been shown that the dimeric phospholipid cardiolipin is required for the stability of TOM and SAM complexes and thus for the efficient import and assembly of β-barrel proteins and some α-helical proteins of the outer membrane. Here, we report that mitochondria deficient in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), the second non-bilayer-forming phospholipid, are impaired in the biogenesis of β-barrel proteins, but not of α-helical outer membrane proteins. The stability of TOM and SAM complexes is not disturbed by the lack of PE. By dissecting the import steps of β-barrel proteins, we show that an early import stage involving translocation through the TOM complex is affected. In PE-depleted mitochondria, the TOM complex binds precursor proteins with reduced efficiency. We conclude that PE is required for the proper function of the TOM complex.

The fusogenic lipid phosphatidic acid promotes the biogenesis of mitochondrial outer membrane protein Ugo1

Phosphatidic acid is the first lipid required for protein-independent membrane insertion and assembly of a mitochondrial membrane protein.