The outer envelope protein OEP24 from pea chloroplasts can functionally replace the mitochondrial VDAC in yeast

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Abstract
The chloroplastic outer envelope protein OEP24 from pea forms a high‐conductance low specificity solute channel as shown by in vitro studies. In order to establish its function also in an in vivo‐like system, the gene encoding OEP24 was transformed into a yeast strain which lacks the general mitochondria solute channel porin, also known as voltage‐dependent anion channel (VDAC). Transformation of the yeast VDAC(−) strain with the OEP24 gene resulted in the recovery of a phenotype indistinguishable from the wild‐type. The OEP24 polypeptide is targeted to the mitochondrial outer membrane in this heterologous system. We conclude that OEP24 forms a solute channel in pea chloroplasts in planta.