A neutral metallo endoprotease involved in the processing of an F1-ATPase subunit precursor in mitochondria.

A post-translational processing assay of the precursor to the yeast F1-ATPase subunit has been utilized to examine a mitochondrial endoprotease which cleaves this subunit precursor to the size of a mature subunit. The endoprotease is extracted from purified mitochondria as a soluble complex of Mr = 115,000 which is composed of subunits of lower molecular weight when examined on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It exhibits a pH optimum of between pH 7 and 8 and is inactive at pH 6.5 and below. The mitochondrial endoprotease is insensitive to serine esterase inhibitors, but is inhibited by EDTA and o-phenanthroline. Restoration of precursor subunit processing activity in the presence of metal chelators is strictly dependent on excess Co2+ and Mn2+ over other heavy metals examined. These and additional data indicate that this soluble metallo endoprotease is involved in the processing of other cytoplasmically synthesized precursor subunits of the ATPase complex in addition to the subunit 2 precursor. The role of this processing enzyme in the assembly of mitochondrial inner membrane complexes is discussed in light of the current model of mitochondrial biogenesis.