Protein of insect sperm mitochondrial crystals. Crystallomitin.
1977 ◽
Vol 73
(3)
◽
pp. 594-600
◽
Keyword(s):
20 Nm
◽
Mitochondrial derivatives of insect sperm usually contain a crystalline protein that shows a 45-nm main period, made up of 20-nm subperiods, determined by the coiling of filament bundles. Filaments are 2 nm thick and have a globular appearance. The crystals contain two main polypeptides, 52,000 and 55,000 daltons. These polypeptides are closely related, contain a high percentage of proline, and are insoluble in sodium dodecyl sulfate due to disulfide cross links. We suggest for this class of protein the name crystallomitin.