Atp11p and Atp12p are chaperones for F1-ATPase biogenesis in mitochondria

The bioenergetic needs of aerobic cells are met principally through the action of the F1F0 ATP synthase, which catalyzes ATP synthesis during oxidative phosphorylation. The catalytic unit of the enzyme (F-1) is a multimeric protein of the subunit composition alpha(3)beta(3)gammadeltaepsilon. Our work, which employs the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system for studies of mitochondrial function, has provided evidence that assembly of the mitochondrial alpha and beta subunits into the F-1 oligomer requires two molecular chaperone proteins called Atp11p and Atp12p. Comprehensive knowledge of Atp11p and Atp12p activities in mitochondria bears relevance to human physiology and disease as these chaperone actions are now known to exist in mitochondria of human cells. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.