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A group of scientists led by Assistant Professor Dr. Martin van der Laan has decoded the molecular basis for the characteristic structures inside of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells and contain microscopic, strongly infolded membrane structures. These structures allow mitochondria to use the energy gained from food effectively. A defect in the architecture of mitochondrial membrane folds can lead to serious disorders in the nervous and muscular system. The team of researchers from the University of Freiburg has now published a study in which it describes a sophisticated molecular structure made of membrane proteins. This structure allows mitochondria to develop their typical architecture while keeping the elaborate network of membrane folds stable.
A large complex of several protein components, called the MICOS complex (the acronym for mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system), plays a key role in the inner structure of mitochondria and was discovered by the same group of scientists from the University of Freiburg several years ago. For the current study, van der Laan’s team worked together with researchers from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt to decode the blueprint and functions of the MICOS. They determined that Mic10, which is a component of the MICOS, plays a central role. Dr. Maria Bohnert, an expert in molecular medicine and biochemistry from the University of Freiburg, discovered a structure within the protein Mic10 that functions like a barcode. It contains information that describes where Mic10 belongs within the cell. It thus controls the transport of Mic10 and its insertion into the inner membrane system of mitochondria. When the protein has reached its final destination, a second characteristic structure of Mic10 enables it to join many identical copies together to create an extended protein scaffold that keeps the mitochondria's specialized membrane folds together.
If one of the two main structural elements in Mic10 is inactivated, parts of the membrane system collapse, leading to mitochondrial malfunction. On the other hand, if there is too much Mic10, an extreme expansion of the mitochondrial membrane folds occurs. “Our results show that Mic10 is the structural basis of MICOS. It is vital for building the small generators in the cell's power station,” Bohnert said. These discoveries could help scientists better understand many different disorders related to the defective construction of mitochondria and the partial loss of mitochondrial functions.
Scientists from Freiburg involved in this study work at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Freiburg and are members of the Cluster of Excellence BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies as well as the Collaborative Research Centre 746 "Functional Specificity by Coupling and Modification of Proteins". Bohnert is a post-doc researcher at the Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Freiburg.
Molecular structure of one of the most important receptors in the immune system unraveled
The surface of B cells is covered with antigen receptors with which they recognize invading pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. When a B cell receptor binds to an antigen, that is, to a foreign structure, the B cell is activated and triggers the production of antibodies. Antibodies are ... more
The greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced as a by-product of industrial processes and through the use of fertilizers in agriculture. It is making a steadily growing contribution to climate change and the depletion of the ozone layer. It is so chemically unreactive that it remains i ... more
New discoveries about the origin of the brain’s immune system
What gets into the brain and what doesn’t is strictly regulated. Researchers at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Freiburg have now studied phagocytes that coat the blood vessels in the brain and reinforce the blood-brain barrier. As the scientists from the Institute of Neuropath ... more
Modular biofactories at the cellular level
Despite his love for complex molecular architectures, this „dyed-in-the-wool“ bio-organic chemist has never embraced the conventional segregation of synthetic polymers and biological macromolecules. All molecules are composed of atoms, after all. Why make an artificial distinction? Why not ... more
From a pluripotent stem cell a muscle cell or a liver cell can form, which despite their difference in appearance, are genetically identical. From one and the same genotype, therefore, the most diverse phenotypes can be formed – epigenetics is making it possible! It is a very exciting area ... more
Stefan M. Schiller studied chemistry at Gießen (Mainz, Germany) and the University of Massachusetts, majoring in macromolecular chemistry and biochemistry. For his doctorate in biomimetic membrane systems he worked till 2003 at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz. Researc ... more
Julia M. Wagner studied pharmacy in Freiburg (licensure 2008). Since 2008 she is a PhD student and research assistant in the group of Professor Dr. M. Jung. Her research focuses on the cellular effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors. more
Manfred Jung is a graduate of the University of Marburg, where he studied pharmacy (licensure 1990) and obtained his doctorate in pharmaceutical chemistry with Prof. Dr. W. Hanefeld. After a post-doctorate at the University of Ottawa, Canada, he began with independent research in 1994 at ... more
Small-volume, high-throughput organic synthesis
University of Groningen Professor of Drug Design, Alexander Dömling, has devised a method to rapidly synthesize thousands of new molecules and evaluate their properties as potential drugs. In a paper published by Science Advances on 5 July, he shows that this method works well when applied ... more
The impressively high conversion rates of natural enzymes partly result from increasing the catalytic activity of a selected few amino acid side chains through precise positioning within the protein binding cavity. Scientists have now demonstrated that such fine-tuning is also possible for ... more
New method measures single molecules from nanoliter of blood in real time
University of Groningen scientists, led by Associate Professor of Chemical Biology Giovanni Maglia, have designed a nanopore system that is capable of measuring different metabolites simultaneously in a variety of biological fluids, all in a matter of seconds. The electrical output signal i ... more
From the scent of roses to nylon and plastics
Beguiling scents, sober facts: scents emanating from plants are almost always monoterpenes and monoterpene alcohols, the essential oils of plants are natural hydrocarbon compounds. For instant, geraniol is the tempting fragrant alcohol of roses. Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for M ... more
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