We did find that 25 40 PINK1 was consistent with 35 PINK1 in ruling out the cleavage site predicted at position especially 35. Based on N terminal deletion mutants we predicted that a second cleavage site resides downstream of the transmembrane domain. PINK1 transmembrane and kinase domain determine PINK1 subcellular distribution As demonstrated before, WT PINK1 overexpression showed dual subcellular distribution with all three forms found in both mitochondrial and cytosolic fractions. We asked how elements in the PINK1 structure can contribute to the mechanism behind PINK1 dual distribution. PINK1 protein contains three easily identifiable elements, an N terminal MLS, a TM, and a C terminal kinase domain. In general, the pre sence of a transmembrane domain in the MLS serves as a stop transfer, or sorting signal, that prevents mito chondrial proteins from matrix import.

We tested three most feasable hypotheses, 1 PINK1 TM serves as a stop transfer signal, given that PINK1 is not found in the matrix and PINK1 mislocalized to the matrix compart ment when the TM was deleted, 2 the cleavage after the transmembrane domain allows mitochondrial pool of PINK1 to become soluble, thus making it possible to redistribute to the cytosol, 3 the kinase domain inter action with Hsp90 in the cytosol prevents PINK1 from complete mitochondrial import, thus PINK1 adopts a topology where the kinase domain is exposed to the cyto solic face on the OMM. We first tested the involvement of the TM in topology and dual distribution by using PINK1 MLS GFP, where the PINK1 TM is intact but the C terminal kinase domain is now replaced with GFP.

We found that PINK1 MLS GFP distributed only to the mitochondria and not the cytosol. This GFP fusion protein was protected from proteinase K digest, suggest ing that it is likely localized inside the outer membrane. As a control, we examined the mito GFP protein by fractionation, using the cytochrome b2 MLS. Mito GFP also resisted proteinase K digest and was not found in the cytosol. Com bined, the data suggests the TM alone is not enough to lead to PINK1 topology with C terminal portion of the protein facing the cytosol or cytosolic redistribution. Next we examined our earlier hypothesis that the clea vage after the transmembrane domain allows tethered mitochondrial PINK1 to become cytosolic.

Because we are unable to abolish the second PINK1 cleavage with our internal deletion mutants, we constructed and expressed Immt 151 PINK1 fusion protein, one that contains the mitofilin MLS and the PINK1 kinase domain. Mitofilin is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein whose MLS includes a classical pre sequence followed by a TM, but not a proteolytic Anacetrapib site downstream of the TM. We found Immt 151 PINK1 protein localized solely to the mitochondria and its sensitivity to proteinase K suggests an outer mem brane topology.