Identification of two products of mitochondrial protein synthesis associated with mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase from Neurospora crassa

Abstract

Soluble mitochondrial ATPase (F1) isolated from Neurospora crassa is resolved by dodecylsulfate-gel electrophoresis into five polypeptide bands with apparent molecular weights of 59000, 55000, 36000, 15000 and 12000. At least nine further polypeptides remain associated with ATPase after disintegration of mitochondria with Triton X-100 as shown by the analysis of an immunoprecipitate obtained with antiserum to F1 ATPase. Two of the associated polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 19000 and 11000 are translated on mitochondrial ribosomes, as demonstrated by incorporation in vivo of radioactive leucine in the presence of specific inhibitors of mitochondrial (chloramphenicol) and extramitochondrial (cycloheximide) protein synthesis. The appearance of mitochondrial translation products in the immunoprecipitated ATPase complex is inhibited by cycloheximide.. The same applies for some of the extramitochondrial translation products in the presence of chloramphenicol. This suggests that both types of polypeptides are necessary for the assembly of the ATPase complex