A study by Nikolaus Pfanner has been published in the journal Nature
Mitochondria are vital for the human body as cellular powerhouses. Dysfunctions lead to severe diseases, especially of the nervous system and the heart. In order to transport proteins and metabolites, mitochondria contain a special group of so-called beta-barrel membrane proteins. Until now, it has not been possible to clarify how these proteins are formed.
A team led by Prof. Dr. Toshiya Endo from Kyoto University/Japan, Prof. Dr. Nils Wiedemann and Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Pfanner from the University of Freiburg and Prof. Dr. Thomas Becker from the University of Bonn has succeeded in solving the structure and function of the SAM complex. The SAM complex is the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM) for the biogenesis of beta-barrel proteins.
The scientists were able to identify a new principle for the formation of the membrane proteins and thus elucidate how the barrel pore assembly in the mitochondrial outer membrane works.