Mitochondrial translation

Mitochondrial mRNAs have either no untranslated leader or short leaders of 1-3 nucleotides, with the exception of the 2 bicistronic transcripts, RNA7 and RNA14, which have overlapping orfs that encode ND4L/ND4 and ATP8/ATP6 respectively. Translation is believed to initiate with the mRNA binding the 28S subunit:MTIF3 (28S subunit:IF-3Mt, 28S subunit:IF2mt) complex together with MTIF2:GTP (IF-2Mt:GTP, IF2mt:GTP) at the matrix face of the inner membrane (reviewed in Christian and Spremulli 2012). MTIF3 can dissociate 55S particles in preparation for initiation, enhances formation of initiation complexes, and inhibits N-formylmethionine-tRNA (fMet-tRNA) binding to 28S subunits in the absence of mRNA. Binding of fMet-tRNA to the start codon of the mRNA results in a stable complex while absence of a start codon at the 5' end of the mRNA causes eventual dissociation of the mRNA from the 28S subunit. After recognition of a start codon, the 39S subunit then binds the stable complex, GTP is hydrolyzed, and the initiation factors MTIF3 and MTIF2:GDP dissociate.

Translation elongation then proceeds by cycles of aminoacyl-tRNAs binding, peptide bond formation, and displacement of deacylated tRNAs. In each cycle an aminoacyl-tRNA in a complex with TUFM:GTP (EF-Tu:GTP) binds at the A-site of the ribosome, GTP is hydrolyzed, and TUFM:GDP dissociates. The elongating polypeptide bonded to the tRNA at the P-site is transferred to the aminoacyl group at the A-site by peptide bond formation at the peptidyl transferase center, leaving a deacylated tRNA at the P-site and the elongating polypeptide attached to the tRNA at the A-site. The polypeptide is co-translationally inserted into the inner mitochondrial membrane via an interaction with OXA1L (Haque et al. 2010, reviewed in Ott and Hermann 2010). After peptide bond formation, GFM1:GTP (EF-Gmt:GTP) then binds the ribosome complex, GTP is hydrolyzed, GFM1:GDP dissociates, and the ribosome translocates 3 nucleotides in the 3' direction along the mRNA, relocating the polypeptide-tRNA to the P-site and allowing another cycle to begin. TUFM:GDP is regenerated to TUFM:GTP by the guanine nucleotide exchange factor TSFM (EF-Ts, EF-TsMt).

Translation is terminated when MTRF1L:GTP (MTRF1a:GTP) recognizes an UAA or UAG termination codon at the A-site of the ribosome. GTP hydrolysis does not appear to be required. The tRNA-aminoacyl bond between the translated polypeptide and the final tRNA at the P-site is hydrolyzed by the 39S subunit, facilitating release of the polypeptide. MRRF (RRF) and GFM2:GTP (EF-G2mt:GTP) then act to release the remaining tRNA and mRNA from the ribosome and dissociate the 55S ribosome into 28S and 39S subunits.

Mutations have been identified in genes encoding mitochondrial ribosomal proteins and translation factors. These have been shown to be pathogenic, causing neurological and other diseases (reviewed in Koopman et al. 2013, Pearce et al. 2013).

Translation can stall due to lack of tRNAs or due to defects in mRNAs and tRNAs (reviewed in Yip and Shao 2021, Nadler et al. 2022). In the case of a defective tRNA, the 28S and 39S ribosomal subunits are separated and the MTRFR-MTRES1 complex binds the peptidyl-tRNA and the empty A-site of the ribosome, resulting in ejection and hydrolysis of the peptidyl-tRNA and regeneration of the tRNA and the 39S ribosomal subunit. In the case of a mRNA lacking a stop codon (non-stop mRNA), ICT1 recognizes the empty mRNA channel in the ribosome and causes ejection and hydrolysis of the peptidyl-tRNA.