Structure-function studies of adenine nucleotide transport in mitochondria. I. Construction and genetic analysis of yeast mutants encoding the ADP/ATP carrier protein of mitochondria.

The gene encoding the major ADP/ATP carrier in yeast AAC2 (pet9; Lawson, J., and Douglas, M. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 14812-14818) has been disrupted (delta AAC2) by itself and in combination with a disruption of a second translocator gene AAC1 (delta AAC1). Disruption of AAC2 like the pet9 mutation renders yeast unable to grow on a nonfermentable carbon source. The AAC1 AAC2 double disruption exhibits a phenotype identical to the AAC2. This provides the host strain for the analysis of point mutations in the AAC protein. We have initiated this structure-function analysis by characterizing and confirming that the pet9 mutation is a G to A transition resulting in an arginine to histidine change at position 96. Site-directed replacements at Arg96 confirm its essential function for growth on a nonfermentable carbon source. These data also suggest that in the absence of functional AAC1 and AAC2 gene products, adenine nucleotide transport across the mitochondrial inner membrane must occur by an as yet unidentified translocator or translocation mechanism or that within these cells separate intra- and extramitochondrial adenine nucleotide pools can exist to support growth.