Differential regulation of the transcript levels of some nuclear-encoded and mitochondrial-encoded respiratory-chain components in response to growth activation.

Biogenesis of mammalian mitochondria requires the participation of both nuclear and mitochondrial genes. In order to study the expression and coordination of these two sets of genes, serum-deprived, quiescent NIH 3T3 cells were activated by serum addition. The steady-state levels of the transcripts for two growth-response genes (the mitochondrial adenine-nucleotide translocator and non-mitochondrial beta-actin), one nuclear-encoded respiratory-chain component (F1-ATPase beta-subunit) and the mitochondrial-encoded subunit I of cytochrome oxidase decreased significantly in quiescent cells and were rapidly restored with similar kinetics after addition of serum. The transcripts for two additional nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes (cytochrome c1 and cytochrome oxidase subunit IV) did not respond to serum deprivation or growth activation. These results imply that mitochondrial biogenesis is at least partially regulated through growth-dependent mechanisms. Furthermore, the expression of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial respiratory-chain components does not appear to be tightly coordinated, suggesting the existence of multiple control circuits.