A recent study has provided new insights into how proteins are arranged in mitochondria, which is considered the “powerhouse of cells” and participates in a range of metabolic and signaling functions within cells. Mitochondria is also responsible for the majority of cell activities apart from energy production.
The Protein Machine
The new research on discovering the complex protein structure in Mitochondria was conducted by University of Freiburg and University Hospital Bonn. The small organelle has more than 1,000 proteins which forms a complex protein structure called “protein complex”. The new discovery has produced a high resolution image that has further revealed the complex organization of proteins known as MitCOM.
MitCOM
Mitochondria typically imports 99% of its protein from the external environment within the cell. The MitCOM will help in the identification of new protein-protein interactions and protein complexes – important information for further studies. A biochemist and molecular biologist Professor Becker said the study will help future studies to understand the functions and origin of the cell’s powerhouse.
