3o55

Publication Abstract from PubMed

Oxidative protein folding in the mitochondrial intermembrane space requires the transfer of a disulfide bond from MIA40 to the substrate. During this process MIA40 is reduced and regenerated to a functional state through the interaction with the flavin-dependent sulfhydryl oxidase ALR. Here we present the mechanistic basis of ALR-MIA40 interaction at atomic resolution by biochemical and structural analyses of the mitochondrial ALR isoform and its covalent mixed disulfide intermediate with MIA40. This ALR isoform contains a folded FAD-binding domain at the C-terminus and an unstructured, flexible N-terminal domain, weakly and transiently interacting one with the other. A specific region of the N-terminal domain guides the interaction with the MIA40 substrate binding cleft (mimicking the interaction of the substrate itself), without being involved in the import of ALR. The hydrophobicity-driven binding of this region ensures precise protein-protein recognition needed for an efficient electron transfer process.

Molecular recognition and substrate mimicry drive the electron-transfer process between MIA40 and ALR.,Banci L, Bertini I, Calderone V, Cefaro C, Ciofi-Baffoni S, Gallo A, Kallergi E, Lionaki E, Pozidis C, Tokatlidis K Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Mar 22;108(12):4811-6. Epub 2011 Mar 7. PMID:21383138^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.