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#mitochondrial ribosomes

2 public questions tagged with this topic.

The ribosomal subunit composition of mitochondria is similar to:

Endosymbiosis is supported by mitochondrial translation apparatus resembling bacteria. Mitochondrial ribosomes, mitoribosomes, in mammals sediment as fifty five S composed of twenty eight S small and thirty nine S large subunits, total mass two point seven megadaltons, containing two rRNAs and about eighty two proteins where only thirty percent homologous to bacterial proteins and rest mitochondria-specific adaptations for membrane protein synthesis. They retain bacterial features such as leaderless initiation, formylmethionine start, lack of five prime cap, and sensitivity to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin that block bacterial seventy S but leave cytosolic eighty S unaffected, explaining antibiotic side effects like mitochondrial toxicity. They translate thirteen highly hydrophobic subunits of respiratory chain encoded by mtDNA remaining from endosymbiont genome. Evolution retained minimal genome but imported most ribosomal proteins from nuclear genome via TOM/TIM translocases. No similarity to nuclear envelope constituents or cytosolic RNA granules which contain different RNA processing complexes. Structural cryo-EM reveals bacterial core decorated with extra protein shell accommodating insertion into inner membrane via Oxa1 insertase.

Ref: Gray Annu Rev Genet; mitochondria endosymbiont mitoribosome 55S homologous to bacterial 70S.

Protein synthesis in mitochondria uses which ribosome?

Mitochondrial protein synthesis translating thirteen highly hydrophobic inner membrane subunits of oxidative phosphorylation complexes relies on 55S mitochondrial ribosome in mammals. This ribosome composed of 28S small and 39S large subunits is tethered to inner membrane near OXA1L translocase enabling co-translational insertion of nascent chains. Translation uses nucleus-encoded mitochondrial initiation factors mtIF2, mtIF3, elongation factors mtEFTu, mtEFG1, termination factor mtRF1a, distinct from cytosolic 80S machinery, sensitive to antibiotics, and regulated by mitochondrial tRNA modifications and membrane potential coupling. This refined regulation supports accurate ribosomal assembly, quality control and translational fidelity under diverse physiological conditions and growth states.

Ref: Watson Molecular Biology of the Gene, 7th ed., Chapter 14, Mitochondrial 55S ribosome in OXPHOS protein synthesis