Interaction of mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes with the inner membrane

All of the products of mitochondrial protein biosynthesis in animals are hydrophobic proteins that are localized in the inner membrane. Hence, it is possible that the synthesis of these proteins could occur on ribosomes associated with the inner membrane. To examine this possibility, inner membrane and matrix fractions of bovine mitochondria were examined for the presence of ribosomes using probes for the rRNAs. Between 40 and 50% of the ribosomes were found to fractionate with the inner membrane. About half of the ribosomes associated with the inner membrane could be released by high salt treatment, indicating that they interact with the membrane largely through electrostatic forces. No release of the ribosome was observed upon treatment with puromycin, suggesting that the association observed is not due to insertion of a nascent polypeptide chain into the membrane. A fraction of the ribosomes remained with residual portions of the membranes that cannot be solubilized in the presence of Triton X-100. These ribosomes may be associated with large oligomeric complexes in the membrane.