Intramitochondrial synthesis of membrane proteins in yeast: differential inhibition by ethidium

Yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were grown in the presence of [14C]phenylalanine and pulse-labelled with [3H]phenylalanine in the presence of cycloheximide. The proteins extractable into chroloform: methanol (2:1) were isolated from mitochondria and analysed by SDS gel filtration. Four protein fractions varying in molecular weight were separated. In order to identify the transcriptional origin and the site of protein synthesis ethidium bromide was used. Different sensitivity of protein syntheses to various concentrations of ethidium was shown. These data are discussed in relation to the possible presence of two classes of membrane-bound polyribosomes in mitochondria.