Cytochrome c1 of bakers' yeast. II. Synthesis on cytoplasmic robosomes and influence of oxygen and heme on accumulation of the apoprotein.

In the preceding paper (Ross, E., and Schatz, G. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 1991-1996) yeast cytochrome c1 was characterized as a 31,000 dalton polypeptide with a covalently bound heme group. In order to determine the site of translation of this heme-carrying polypeptide, yeast cells were labeled with [H]leu(be under the following conditions: (a) in the absence of inhibitors, (b) in the presence of acriflavin (an inhibitor of mitochondrial translation), or (c) in the presence of cycloheximide (an inhibitor of cytoplasmic translation). The incorporation of radioactivity into the hemeprotein was measured by immunoprecipitating it from mitochondrial extracts and analyzing it by dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Label was incorporated into the cytochrome c1 apoprotein only in the presence of acriflavin or in the absence of inhibitor, but not in the presence of cycloheximide. Cytochrome c1 is thus a cytoplasmic translation product. This conclusion was further supported by the demonstration that a cytolasmic petite mutant lacking mitochondrial protein synthesis still contained holocytochrome c1 that was indistinguishable from cytochrome c1 of wild type yeast with respect to molecular weight, absorption spectru, the presence of a covalently bound heme group, and antigenic properties. Cytochrome c1 in the mitochondria of the cytoplasmic petite mutant is firmly bound to the membrane, and its concentration approaches that typical of wild type mitochondria. However, its lability to proteolysis appeared to be increased. A mitochondrial translation product may thus be necessary for the correct conformation or orientation of cytochrome c1 in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Accumulation of cytochrome c1 protein in mitochondria is dependent on the abailability of heme. This was shown with a delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase-deficient yeast mutant which lacks heme and any light-absorbing peaks attributable to cytochromes. Mitochondria from mutant cells grown without added delta-aminolevulinic acid contained at least 20 times less protein immunoprecipitable by cytochrome c1-antisera than mitochondria from cells grown in the presence of the heme precursor. Similarly, the respiration-deficient promitochondria of anaerobically grown wild type cells are almost completely devoid of material cross-reacting with cytochrome c1-antisera. A 105,000 X g supernatant of aerobically grown wild type cells contains a 29,000 dalton polypeptide that is precipitated by cytochrome c1-antiserum but not by nonimmune serum. This polypeptide is also present in high speed supernatants from the heme-deficient mutant or from anaerobically gorwn wild type cells. The possible identity of this polypeptide with soluble apocytochrome c1 is being investigated.