The intracellular distribution of the components of the GET system in vascular plants

The guided entry of tail-anchored proteins (GET) pathway facilitates targeting and insertion of tail-anchored proteins into membranes. In plants, such a protein insertion machinery for the endoplasmic reticulum as well as constituents within mitochondrial and chloroplasts were discovered. Previous phylogenetic analysis revealed that Get3 sequences of Embryophyta form two clades representing cytosolic ("a") and organellar ("bc") GET3 homologs, respectively. Cellular fractionation of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings and usage of the self-assembly GFP system in protoplasts verified the cytosolic (_ATGet3a), plastidic (_ATGet3b) and mitochondrial (_ATGet3c) localization of the different homologs. The identified plant homologs of Get1 and Get4 in A. thaliana are localized in ER and cytosol, respectively, implicating a degree of conservation of the GET pathway in A. thaliana. Transient expression of Get3 homologs of Solanum lycopersicum, Medicago × varia or Physcomitrella patens with the self-assembly GFP technique in homologous and heterologous systems verified that multiple Get3 homologs with differing subcellular localizations are common in plants. Chloroplast localized Get3 homologs were detected in all tested plant systems. In contrast, mitochondrial localized Get3 homologs were not identified in S. lycopersicum, or P. patens, while we confirmed on the example of A. thaliana proteins that mitochondrial localized Get3 proteins are properly targeted in S. lycopersicum as well.

Characterization of the targeting signal in mitochondrial β-barrel proteins

Mitochondrial β-barrel proteins are synthesized on cytosolic ribosomes and must be specifically targeted to the organelle before their integration into the mitochondrial outer membrane. The signal that assures such precise targeting and its recognition by the organelle remained obscure. In the present study we show that a specialized β-hairpin motif is this long searched for signal. We demonstrate that a synthetic β-hairpin peptide competes with the import of mitochondrial β-barrel proteins and that proteins harbouring a β-hairpin peptide fused to passenger domains are targeted to mitochondria. Furthermore, a β-hairpin motif from mitochondrial proteins targets chloroplast β-barrel proteins to mitochondria. The mitochondrial targeting depends on the hydrophobicity of the β-hairpin motif. Finally, this motif interacts with the mitochondrial import receptor Tom20. Collectively, we reveal that β-barrel proteins are targeted to mitochondria by a dedicated β-hairpin element, and this motif is recognized at the organelle surface by the outer membrane translocase.

Mitochondrial β-barrel proteins are synthesized in the cytosol before being targeted to the organelle. Here, Jores et al. show that a specialized hydrophobic β-hairpin motif is the previously undefined targeting sequence and is recognized by the mitochondrial outer membrane translocase.

In vivo function of Tic22, a protein import component of the intermembrane space of chloroplasts

Preprotein import into chloroplasts depends on macromolecular machineries in the outer and inner chloroplast envelope membrane (TOC and TIC). It was suggested that both machineries are interconnected by components of the intermembrane space (IMS). That is, amongst others, Tic22, of which two closely related isoforms exist in Arabidopsis thaliana, namely atTic22-III and atTic22-IV. We investigated the function of Tic22 in vivo by analyzing T-DNA insertion lines of the corresponding genes. While the T-DNA insertion in the individual genes caused only slight defects, a double mutant of both isoforms showed retarded growth, a pale phenotype under high-light conditions, a reduced import rate, and a reduction in the photosynthetic performance of the plants. The latter is supported by changes in the metabolite content of mutant plants when compared to wild-type. Thus, our results support the notion that Tic22 is directly involved in chloroplast preprotein import and might point to a particular importance of Tic22 in chloroplast biogenesis at times of high import rates.

self-assembling GFP: a versatile tool for plant (membrane) protein analyses

The investigation of cellular processes on the molecular level is important to understand the functional network within plant cells. self-assembling GFP has evolved to be a versatile tool for (membrane) protein analyses. Based on the autocatalytical reassembling property of the nonfluorescent strands 1-10 and 11, protein distribution and membrane protein topology can be analyzed in vivo. Here, we provide basic protocols to determine membrane protein topology in Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts.

Protein-induced modulation of chloroplast membrane morphology

Organelles are surrounded by membranes with a distinct lipid and protein composition. While it is well established that lipids affect protein functioning and vice versa, it has been only recently suggested that elevated membrane protein concentrations may affect the shape and organization of membranes. We therefore analyzed the effects of high chloroplast envelope protein concentrations on membrane structures using an in vivo approach with protoplasts. Transient expression of outer envelope proteins or protein domains such as CHUP1-TM-GFP, outer envelope protein of 7 kDa-GFP, or outer envelope protein of 24 kDa-GFP at high levels led to the formation of punctate, circular, and tubular membrane protrusions. Expression of inner membrane proteins such as translocase of inner chloroplast membrane 20, isoform II (Tic20-II)-GFP led to membrane protrusions including invaginations. Using increasing amounts of DNA for transfection, we could show that the frequency, size, and intensity of these protrusions increased with protein concentration. The membrane deformations were absent after cycloheximide treatment. Co-expression of CHUP1-TM-Cherry and Tic20-II-GFP led to membrane protrusions of various shapes and sizes including some stromule-like structures, for which several functions have been proposed. Interestingly, some structures seemed to contain both proteins, while others seem to contain one protein exclusively, indicating that outer and inner envelope dynamics might be regulated independently. While it was more difficult to investigate the effects of high expression levels of membrane proteins on mitochondrial membrane shapes using confocal imaging, it was striking that the expression of the outer membrane protein Tom20 led to more elongate mitochondria. We discuss that the effect of protein concentrations on membrane structure is possibly caused by an imbalance in the lipid to protein ratio and may be involved in a signaling pathway regulating membrane biogenesis. Finally, the observed phenomenon provides a valuable experimental approach to investigate the relationship between lipid synthesis and membrane protein expression in future studies.