Translocation of chicken heart apocytochrome c and its mutants (C17S, H18D) across mitochondrial membrane

The dependence of import of chicken heart apocytochrome c on its transformation to holoform by heme attachment was studied. Results showed that there was no difference in the translocation of apocytochrome c across the mitochondrial membrane in the presence or absence of hemin + dithionite. Furthermore, two heme unattached mutants (H18D, C17S) were prepared, which could still be accumulated in mitochondria, but their import velocity was obviously reduced.

Cytochrome c is a component of mitochondrial respiratory chain, located at the outer side of mitochondrial inner membrane. Its precursor, apocytochrome c, is encoded by a nuclear gene, synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes, and posttranslationally imported into mitochondria, but apocytochrome c is unique in the translocation compared with most mitochondrial proteins. It does not carry a cleavable amino terminal targeting sequence; no proteinous receptor on the mitochondrial outer membrane is identified for its import and its translocation does not compete with other preproteins for translocation machinery in the outer membrane. Besides, neither ATP nor membrane potential is required for its translocation across mitochonctria.