Optogenetic Proximity Labeling Maps Spatially Resolved Mitochondrial Surface Proteomes and a Locally Regulated Ribosome Pool
Outer mitochondrial membranes (OMM) function as dynamic hubs for inter-organelle communication, integrating bidirectional signals, and coordinating organelle behavior in a context-dependent manner. However, tools for mapping mitochondrial surface proteomes with high spatial and temporal resolution remain limited. Here, we introduce an optogenetic proximity labeling strategy using LOV-Turbo, a light-activated biotin ligase, to profile mitochondrial surface proteomes with improved precision, temporal control, and reduced background. By fusing LOV-Turbo to a panel of variants of an OMM-anchored protein, Miro1, we generate spatially distinct baits that resolve modular architectures and regulatory states of the OMM proteomes across diverse conditions, a database we name MitoSurf. Building on this proteomic map, we present RiboLOOM, a platform that defines LOV-Turbo labeled ribosomes and their bound mRNAs at the mitochondrial surface. MitoSurf and RiboLOOM uncover a spatially distinct ribosome pool at the OMM that is maintained by Miro1, enabling local mRNA engagement and translation of mitochondria-related proteins. These findings establish Miro1 as a key organizer of mitochondrial protein biogenesis through spatial confinement of surface-associated ribosomes. Our platform reveals an uncharted layer of mitochondrial surface biology and provides a generalizable strategy to dissect dynamic RNA-protein-organelle interfaces in living cells.
Authors
- Joshua Eric Elias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8063-3259)
- Michael B. Major (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6753-8513)
- Emily Wilkerson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9360-7340)
- Xinnan Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2640-7082)
- Joseph S. Creery (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4029-2784)
- Chulhwan Kwak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0041-2681)
- Zehui Du
Institutions
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco (US)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
- Published
- 2025-12-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.21.693523
- Primary Topic
- Biotin and Related Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00