In mitochondria, the major subunits of oxidative phosphorylation complexes are translated by the mitochondrial ribosome (mito-ribosome). The correct insertion and assembly of these subunits into the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) are facilitated by mitochondrial oxidase assembly protein 1 (Oxa1) during the translation process. This co-translational insertion process involves an association between the mito-ribosome and the C-terminus of Oxa1 (Oxa1-CTD) Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods were mainly used to investigate the structural characterization of yeast Oxa1-CTD and its mode of interaction with the E. coli 70S ribosome. Oxa1-CTD forms a transient α-helical structure within the residues P342-Q385, which were reported to form an α-helix when combining with the ribosome. Two conserved contact sites that could interact with the ribosome were further identified. The first site was located on the very end of the N-terminus (V321-I327), and the second one encompassed a stretch of amino acid residues I348-Q370. Based on our discoveries and previous reports, a model has been proposed in which Oxa1-CTD interacts with ribosomes, accompanied by transient-to-stable transitions at the second contact site. These observations may enhance our understanding of the potential role of Oxa1-CTD in facilitating the assembly of oxidative phosphorylation complexes and provide insight into the structural characteristics of Oxa1-CTD.
Keywords: C-terminus; NMR; Oxa1 insertase; interactions; ribosome; structural transitions.