eIF5A controls mitoprotein import by relieving ribosome stalling at TIM50 translocase mRNA.

Efficient import of nuclear-encoded proteins into mitochondria is crucial for proper mitochondrial function. The conserved translation factor eIF5A binds ribosomes, alleviating stalling at polyproline-encoding sequences. eIF5A impacts mitochondrial function across species, though the precise molecular mechanism is unclear.