Gluing the Respiratory Chain Together

Cytochrome bc 1 complex (complex III) and cytochrome c oxidase complex (complex IV) are multisubunit homodimers that are essential components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Complexes III and IV associate to form a supercomplex that can be displayed using blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Both homodimeric complexes contain tightly associated cardiolipin (CL) required for function. We report here that in a crd1Δ strain of yeast (null in expression of CL synthase) ∼90% of complexes III and IV were observed as individual homodimers; only the supercomplex was observed with CRD1wild type cells. Introduction of a plasmid born copy of theCRD1 gene under exogenous regulation by doxycycline made…

• MU
  Marquette University
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: GM56389