Analysis of Yeast Mitochondrial Ribosome Assembly and Membrane Association

线粒体核糖体合成一小部分具有重要功能的蛋白质。尽管线粒体核糖体在进化上与细菌核糖体有亲缘关系，但它与原核生物核糖体在机制和组成上都有一些不同。线粒体核糖体完全是膜锚定的，而在细菌中，核糖体在可溶群体和膜锚定群体之间循环。线粒体核糖体显示出更高的蛋白质：rRNA含量，这在很大程度上归因于(I)许多核糖体蛋白上除了它们的细菌同源结构域之外还存在“有丝分裂特异性”延伸，以及(Ii)新的线粒体特异性核糖体蛋白的存在。线粒体特异性核糖体蛋白/结构域在确保核糖体的组装和活性与膜连接方面的作用在很大程度上尚未被探索，这是本研究的长期目标。线粒体核糖体组装和调控机制的阐明对于蛋白质翻译系统的基本细胞学问题具有重要的意义，并将解决线粒体核糖体如何从其原核祖先的组成和功能进化。这项研究项目将直接研究线粒体如何将其翻译活性与氧化磷酸化系统的生物发生协调起来，这一过程需要将核基因编码的蛋白质与线粒体基因产物结合起来。该项目的主要目标是继续为马奎特大学的本科生和研究生提供创新和变革性的研究机会。拟议的研究活动将为学生研究人员提供一个在分子生物学、遗传学、生物化学和细胞生物学多方面的培训平台。本科生通过与研究生一起工作，将成为密切的科学研究和指导社区的积极成员。还将鼓励学生在国家研究会议上展示他们的工作，并发表他们的发现和目标，这也将磨练他们的科学写作和沟通技能。通过让学生在本科任期的早期就接触到基于探究的生物学研究的兴奋，希望能增加毕业后选择科学研究职业的学生数量。最后，让学生在严密指导的研究环境中进行创新研究，将有助于提高他们对科学发现和严谨在当今社会的重要性的参与度、意识和欣赏。

INTELLECTUAL MERITMitochondrial ribosomes synthesize a small, but functionally important subset of proteins. Although evolutionarily related to bacterial ribosomes, mitochondrial ribosomes display some mechanistic and compositional differences from their prokaryotic counterparts. Mitochondrial ribosomes are entirely membrane-anchored, whereas in bacteria the ribosomes cycle between soluble and membrane-anchored populations. The mitochondrial ribosomes display a higher protein:rRNA content and this is largely attributed to (i) the presence of "mitospecific" extensions on many ribosomal proteins in addition to their bacterial homology domains, and (ii) the presence of novel mitochondrial-specific ribosomal proteins. The role of the mitochondrial-specific ribosomal proteins/domains in ensuring that the assembly and activity of the ribosomes is tethered to the membrane is largely unexplored and represents a long-term goal of this research. The elucidation of mechanisms of mitochondrial ribosome assembly and regulation have important implications for the fundamental cellular questions concerning protein translation systems and will address how mitochondrial ribosomes have evolved in composition and function from their prokaryotic ancestors. This research project will directly address how the mitochondrion coordinates its translational activity with the biogenesis of the oxidative phosphorylation system, a process which requires the uniting of proteins encoded by nuclear genes with the mitochondrial gene products. BROADER IMPACTSA major objective of this project is to continue to provide innovative and transformative research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students at Marquette University. The proposed research activities will provide a training platform for student researchers in many aspects of molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and cell biology. Undergraduate students, by working alongside graduate students, will become active members of a close scientific research and mentoring community. Students will also be encouraged to present their work at national research meetings and to publish their findings, goals which will also hone their scientific writing and communication skills. By exposing students to the excitement of inquiry-based biological research early during their undergraduate tenure, it is hoped to increase the number of students electing scientific research careers following graduation. Finally, exposing students to innovative research in closely mentored research environment will be instrumental for increasing their engagement, awareness, and appreciation for the importance of scientific discovery and rigor in society today.