Coi1 is a novel assembly factor of the yeast complex III–complex IV supercomplex

Coi1 was identified as an important assembly factor for mitochondrial complex III, complex IV, and their supercomplexes. Deletion of COI1 in yeast cells results in severe growth defect, reduced membrane potential, hampered respiration, and altered assembly of complexes III and IV as well as their supercomplexes.
The yeast bc1 complex (complex III) and cytochrome oxidase (complex IV) are mosaics of core subunits encoded by the mitochondrial genome and additional nuclear-encoded proteins imported from the cytosol. Both complexes build various supramolecular assemblies in the mitochondrial inner membrane. The formation of the individual complexes and their supercomplexes depends on the activity of dedicated assembly factors. We identified a so far uncharacterized mitochondrial protein (open reading frame YDR381C-A) as an important assembly factor for complex III, complex IV, and their supercomplexes. Therefore we named this protein Cox interacting (Coi) 1. Deletion of COI1 results in decreased respiratory growth, reduced membrane potential, and hampered respiration, as well as slow fermentative growth at low temperature. In addition, coi1Δ cells harbor reduced steady-state levels of subunits of complexes III and IV and of the assembled complexes and supercomplexes. Interaction of Coi1 with respiratory chain subunits seems transient, as it appears to be a stoichiometric subunit neither of complex III nor of complex IV. Collectively this work identifies a novel protein that plays a role in the assembly of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.