Stress-Regulated Translational Attenuation Adapts Mitochondrial Protein Import through Tim17A Degradation

Abstract

SUMMARY Stress-regulated signaling pathways protect mitochondrial proteostasis, and thus mitochondrial function, from pathologic insults. Despite the importance of stress-regulated signaling pathways in mitochondrial proteome maintenance, the molecular mechanisms by which these pathways maintain mitochondrial proteostasis remain largely unknown. Here, we identify Tim17A as a stress-regulated subunit of the Translocase of the Inner Membrane 23 (TIM23) mitochondrial protein import complex. We show that Tim17A protein levels are decreased downstream of stress-regulated translational attenuation induced by eIF2α phosphorylation through a mechanism dependent on the mitochondrial protease YME1L. Furthermore, we demonstrate that decreasing Tim17A protein levels attenuates TIM23-dependent protein import, promotes the induction of mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response-associated proteostasis genes, and confers stress-resistance in C. elegans and mammalian cells. Thus, our results indicate that Tim17A degradation is a stress-responsive mechanism by which cells adapt mitochondrial protein import efficiency and promote mitochondrial proteostasis in response to the numerous pathologic insults that induce stress-regulated translation attenuation.