The dual-targeted plant sulfiredoxin retroreduces the sulfinic form of atypical mitochondrial peroxiredoxin.

Sulfiredoxin (Srx) couples the energy of ATP hydrolysis to the energetically unfavorable process of reducing the inactive sulfinic form of 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins (Prxs) to regenerate its active form. In plants, Srx as well as typical 2-cysteine Prx have been considered as enzymes with exclusive chloroplast localization. This work explores the subcellular localization of Srx in pea (Pisum sativum) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Immunocytochemistry, analysis of protein extracts from isolated intact organelles, and cell-free posttranslational import assays demonstrated that plant Srx also localizes to the mitochondrion in addition to plastids. The dual localization was in line with the prediction of a signal peptide for dual targeting. Activity tests and microcalorimetric data proved the interaction between Srx and its mitochondrial targets Prx IIF and thioredoxin. Srx catalyzed the retroreduction of the inactive sulfinic form of atypical Prx IIF using thioredoxin as reducing agent. Arabidopsis Srx also reduced overoxidized human Prx V. These results suggest that plant Srx could play a crucial role in the regulation of Prx IIF activity by controlling the regeneration of its overoxidized form in mitochondria, which are sites of efficient reactive oxygen species production in plants.