The mitochondrial inner membrane protein LETM1 modulates cristae organization through its LETM domain

Commun Biol. 2020 Mar 5;3(1):99. doi: 10.1038/s42003-020-0832-5.

Abstract

LETM1 is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein that is required for maintaining the mitochondrial morphology and cristae structures, and regulates mitochondrial ion homeostasis. Here we report a role of LETM1 in the organization of cristae structures. We identified four amino acid residues of human LETM1 that are crucial for complementation of the growth deficiency caused by gene deletion of a yeast LETM1 orthologue. Substituting amino acid residues with alanine disrupts the correct assembly of a protein complex containing LETM1 and prevents changes in the mitochondrial morphology induced by exogenous LETM1 expression. Moreover, the LETM1 protein changes the shapes of the membranes of in vitro-reconstituted proteoliposomes, leading to the formation of invaginated membrane structures on artificial liposomes. LETM1 mutant proteins with alanine substitutions fail to facilitate the formation of invaginated membrane structures, suggesting that LETM1 plays a fundamental role in the organization of mitochondrial membrane morphology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Liposomes
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mitochondrial Membranes / metabolism*
  • Mitochondrial Membranes / ultrastructure
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / chemistry
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / genetics
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mutation
  • Protein Domains
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / ultrastructure
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • LETM1 protein, human
  • Liposomes
  • MDM38 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins