Isolation and characterization of a mitochondrially synthesized polypeptide from Neurospora crassa cni-1 mutant

A polypeptide with a molecular weight of 8 500 (HP 8 500) was isolated from the mitochondrial membrane of the nuclear mutant cni-1 of Neurospora crassa. This mutant is characterized by a cyanide-insensitive respiration and by a deficiency in the cytochromes aa3 and b. The polypeptide is synthesized on mitochondrial ribosomes. It has an extremely hydrophobic character; it is insoluble in aqueous media in the absence of sodium dodecylsulfate and is soluble in acid chloroform/methanol. It lacks histidine. The polar amino acids lysine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine and threonine make up only 25% of the total amino acids on a mole-percent basis. The N-terminal amino acid is tyrosine. The possible function of this polypeptide in the mitochondrial membrane is discussed.