Abstract
Apocytochrome c has a potent ability to insert spontaneously into membrane. To identify which sequences were critical for this insertion activity, a series of peptides N19, C8, C15 and C21, corresponding to sequences 1–19, 81–88, 74–88 and 68–88 of apocytochrome c, respectively, were synthesized and purified. Insertion ability into phospholipid monolayer, intrinsic fluorescence emission spectra, and the accessibility of peptide C21 to fluorescence quenchers: KI, acrylamide and HB showed that only segment 68–88 could insert into membrane, while other segments did not. CD spectra demonstrated that its interaction with liposomes containing negatively charged phospholipid could induce a partial α-helical conformation in peptide C21. It is interesting to note that a cooperation exists between segment 68–88 and 1–19 in the insertion of apocytochrome c and consequently translocation across membrane. (Mol Cell Biochem 262: 61–69, 2004)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hartl FU, Pfanner N, Nicholson DW: Mitochondria protein import. Biochim Biophys Acta 988: 1–45, 1989
Scarpulla RC, Agne KM, Ray W: Isolation and structure of a rat cytochrome c gene. J Biol Chem 256: 6480–6486, 1981
Zimmermann R, Henning B, Neupert W: Different transport pathways of individual precursor proteins in mitochondria. Eur J Biochem 116: 455–460, 1981
Stuart RA, Nicholson DW, Neupert W: Import of apocytochrome c into the mitochondrial intermembrane space along a cytochrome c1 sorting pathway. J Biol Chem 265: 20210–20219, 1990
Hault FU, Neupert W: Protein sorting to mitochondria: Evolutionary conservations of folding and assembly. Science 247: 930–938, 1990
Thomas S, Pfanner N, Neupert W: MOM19, an import receptor for mitochondrial precursor proteins. Cell 59: 1061–1070, 1989
Rietveld A, de Kruijff B: Is the mitochondrial precursor protein apocytochrome c able to pass a lipid barrier? J Biol Chem 259: 6704–6707, 1984
Stuart RA, Nicholson DW, Neupert W: Early steps in mitochondrial protein import: Receptor functions can be substituted by the membrane insertion activity of apocytochrome c. Cell 60: 31–43, 1990
Matsuura S, Arpin M, Hannum C, Margolish E, Sabatini DD, Morimoto T: In vitrosynthesis and posttranslational uptake of cytochrome c into isolated mitochondria: Role of a specific addressing signal in the apocytochrome. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78: 4368–4372, 1981
Jordi W, Zhou LX, Pilon M, Demel RA, de Kruijff B: The importance of the amino terminus of the mitochondrial precursor protein apocytochrome c for translocation across model membranes. J Biol Chem 264: 2292–2301, 1989
Wang XP, Han XH, Jia ST, Yang FY: Change of apocytochrome c translocation across membrane in consequence of hydrophobic segment deletion. Mol Cell Biochem 233: 39–47, 2002
Wang XP, Han XH, Yang FY: Peptide 68-88 of apocytochrome c plays a crucial role in its insertion into membrane and binding to mitochondria. Sci China Ser C 32: 334–341, 2002
Rouser G, Fleischer S, Yamamoto A: Two dimensional thin layer chromatographic separation of polar lipids and determination of phospholipid by phosphorus analysis of spots. Lipids 5: 494–496, 1970
Wang XP, Miao Q, Han XH: Specificity of targeting of apocytochrome c to mitochondria. Chin J Biochem Mol Biol 15: 813–819, 1999
Burger KN, Denel RA, De Kruijff B: Dynamin is membrane-active: Lipid insertion is induced by phosphoinositides and phosphatidic acid. Biochemistry 40: 12485–12493, 2000
Berkhout TA, Rietveld A, de Kruijff B: Preferential lipid association an mode of penetration of apocytochrome c in mixed model membranes as monitored by tryptophanyl fluorescence quenching using brominated phospholipid. Biochim Biophys Acta 897: 1–4, 1987
Yue JC, Tu YP, Pang SZ: The quenching of tryptophan of Ca2+-ATPase by HB. Chinese Sci Bull 40: 76–79, 1995
Rankin SE, Watts A, Pinheiro TJ: Electrostatic and hydrophobic contributions to the folding mechanism of apocytochrome c driven by the interaction with lipid. Biochemistry 37: 12588–12595, 1998
Rietveld A, Ponjee GA, de Kruijff B: Investigations on the insertion of the mitochondrial precursor protein apocytochrome c into model membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta 818: 398–409, 1985
De Jongh HHJ, de Kruijff B: The conformational changes of apocytochrome c upon binding to phospholipid vesicles and micells of phospholipid based detergents: A circular dichroism study. Biochim Biophys Acta 1029: 105–112, 1990
Zhou LX, Jordi W, De kruijff B: Influence of heme and importance of the N-terminal part of the protein and physical state of model membranes for the apocytochrome c-lipid interaction. Biochim Biophys Acta 942: 115–124, 1988
Snel MM, De kruijff B, Marsh D: Interaction of spin-labeled apocytochrome c and spin-labeled cytochrome c with negatively charged lipids studied by electron spin resonance. Biochemistry 33: 7146–7156, 1994
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, X., Han, X. & Yang, F. Critical segment of apocytochrome c for its insertion into membrane. Mol Cell Biochem 262, 61–69 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MCBI.0000038216.13105.08
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MCBI.0000038216.13105.08