Human ISCA1 interacts with IOP1/NARFL and functions in both cytosolic and mitochondrial iron-sulfur protein biogenesis

J Biol Chem. 2009 Dec 18;284(51):35297-307. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.040014.

Abstract

Iron-sulfur proteins play an essential role in many biologic processes. Hence, understanding their assembly is an important goal. In Escherichia coli, the protein IscA is a product of the isc (iron-sulfur cluster) operon and functions in the iron-sulfur cluster assembly pathway in this organism. IscA is conserved in evolution, but its function in mammalian cells is not known. Here, we provide evidence for a role for a human homologue of IscA, named IscA1, in iron-sulfur protein biogenesis. We observe that small interfering RNA knockdown of IscA1 in HeLa cells leads to decreased activity of two mitochondrial iron-sulfur enzymes, succinate dehydrogenase and mitochondrial aconitase, as well as a cytosolic iron-sulfur enzyme, cytosolic aconitase. IscA1 is observed both in cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions. We find that IscA1 interacts with IOP1 (iron-only hydrogenase-like protein 1)/NARFL (nuclear prelamin A recognition factor-like), a cytosolic protein that plays a role in the cytosolic iron-sulfur protein assembly pathway. We therefore propose that human IscA1 plays an important role in both mitochondrial and cytosolic iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, and a notable component of the latter is the interaction between IscA1 and IOP1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aconitate Hydratase / biosynthesis*
  • Aconitate Hydratase / genetics
  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cytosol / metabolism*
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrogenase / genetics
  • Hydrogenase / metabolism*
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / genetics
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mitochondria / metabolism*
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / genetics
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Succinate Dehydrogenase / biosynthesis*
  • Succinate Dehydrogenase / genetics

Substances

  • CIAO3 protein, human
  • ISCA1 protein, human
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Hydrogenase
  • Succinate Dehydrogenase
  • Aconitate Hydratase