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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Measurement of Protein Import Capacity of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria
Published on: January 7, 2022
Bacterial signal peptide recognizes HeLa cell mitochondrial import receptors and functions as a mitochondrial leader
A Mukhopadhyay1, L Ni, C-S Yang
1Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2063, USA.
Abstract:
Phage display was used to identify new components of the mammalian mitochondrial receptor complex using Tom20 as a binding partner. Two peptides were identified. One had partial identity (SMLTVMA) with a bacterial signal peptide from Toho-1, a periplasmic protein. The other had partial identity with a mitochondrial inner membrane glutamate carrier. The bacterial signal peptide could carry a protein into mitochondria both in vivo and in vitro. The first six residues of the sequence, SMLTVM, were necessary for import but the two adjacent arginine residues in the 30-amino-acid leader were not critical for import. The signal peptides of Escherichia coli beta-lactamase and Bacillsus subtilis lipase could not carry proteins into mitochondria. Presumably, the Toho-1 leader can adopt a structure compatible for recognition by the import apparatus.
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