DNA-protein conjugates can enter mitochondria via the protein import pathway

Mitochondria import most of their proteins and small molecules from the cytoplasm. There is some tentative evidence that they import some of their RNAs, but it is not known how nucleic acids could enter mitochondria. Here, we show that isolated yeast mitochondria can import a single-stranded or double-stranded 24-base pair piece of DNA whose 5' end is covalently linked to the C-terminus of a mitochondrial precursor protein.