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Updated: May 12, 2026

Mitochondrial Transformation in Baker's Yeast to Study Translation and Respiratory Complex Assembly
Published on: June 7, 2024
Mechanisms of mitochondrial translational regulation
1Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. ffontanesi@med.miami.edu
Abstract:
The mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system is formed by multimeric enzymes. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the bc1 complex, cytochrome c oxidase and the F1 FO ATP synthase contain subunits of dual genetic origin. It has been recently established that key subunits of these enzymes, translated on mitochondrial ribosomes, are the subjects of assembly-dependent translational regulation. This type of control of gene expression plays a pivotal role in optimizing the biogenesis of mitochondrial respiratory membranes by coordinating protein synthesis and complex assembly and by limiting the accumulation of potentially harmful assembly intermediates. Here, the author will discuss the mechanisms governing translational regulation in yeast mitochondria in the light of the most recent discoveries in the field.
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