Identification of mitochondrial gene products by DNA-directed protein synthesis in vitro

A. F.M. Moorman, L. A. Grivell, F. Lamie, H. L. Smits

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21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

1. 1. A cell-free system, derived from Escherichia coli is highly active in the linked transcription-translation of yeast mtDNA from both wild-type and petite strains. 2. 2. The products of synthesis are short (Mr < 10 000) hydrophobic polypeptides, which show a high tendency to aggregate in a specific fashion with E. coli and mitochondrial proteins. Aggregation is extremely persistent: alkali, sodium dodecyl sulphate urea, guanidinium · HCl and carboxymethylation reduce it, but do not eliminate it completely. 3. 3. Nevertheless, results of indirect immunoprecipitation tests suggest that antigenic determinants of cytochrome c oxidase are among the products synthesized. The immunoprecipitation appears specific by criteria including competition experiments and its absence when mtDNA from low complexity petites, retaining only the gene for 21 S rRNA and some flanking sequences, is used to programme protein synthesis. Electrophoretic analysis of material precipitated by anti-cytochrome c oxidase sera reveals four discrete polypeptides with molecular weights of 7400, 6400, 5000 and 4100, which probably represent polypeptide fragments carrying antigenic determinants of cytochrome c oxidase .

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)351-365
Number of pages15
JournalBBA Section Nucleic Acids And Protein Synthesis
Volume518
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 27 Apr 1978

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