Maturation of frataxin within mammalian and yeast mitochondria: one-step processing by matrix processing peptidase

Friedreich's ataxia is a neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in t he nuclear gene encoding frataxin (FRDA). FRDA is synthesized with an N-ter minal signal sequence, which is removed after import into mitochondria, We have shown that FRDA was imported efficiently into isolated mammalian or ye ast mitochondria, In both cases, the processing cleavage that removed the N -terminal signal sequence occurred in a single step on import, generating m ature products of identical mobility, The processing cleavage could be reco nstituted by incubating the FRDA preprotein with rat or yeast matrix proces sing peptidase (MPP) expressed in Escherichia coli, We used these assays to evaluate the import and processing of an altered form of FRDA containing t he disease-causing I154F mutation. No effects on import or maturation of th is mutated FRDA were observed, Likewise, no effects were observed on import and maturation of the yeast frataxin homolog (Yfh1p) carrying a homologous I130F mutation, These results argue against the possibility that the I154F mutation interferes with FRDA function via effects on maturation. Other mu tations can be screened for effects on FRDA biogenesis as described here, b y evaluating import into isolated mitochondria and by testing maturation wi th purified MPP.