scholarly journals Disordered clusters of Bak dimers rupture mitochondria during apoptosis

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel T Uren ◽  
Martin O’Hely ◽  
Sweta Iyer ◽  
Ray Bartolo ◽  
Melissa X Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linkage Analysis ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Mitochondrial Outer Membrane ◽  
Protein Interface ◽  
Unknown Mechanism ◽  
The Core ◽  
Mathematical Simulations ◽  
N Terminus ◽  
Comprehensive Survey

During apoptosis, Bak and Bax undergo major conformational change and form symmetric dimers that coalesce to perforate the mitochondrial outer membrane via an unknown mechanism. We have employed cysteine labelling and linkage analysis to the full length of Bak in mitochondria. This comprehensive survey showed that in each Bak dimer the N-termini are fully solvent-exposed and mobile, the core is highly structured, and the C-termini are flexible but restrained by their contact with the membrane. Dimer-dimer interactions were more labile than the BH3:groove interaction within dimers, suggesting there is no extensive protein interface between dimers. In addition, linkage in the mobile Bak N-terminus (V61C) specifically quantified association between dimers, allowing mathematical simulations of dimer arrangement. Together, our data show that Bak dimers form disordered clusters to generate lipidic pores. These findings provide a molecular explanation for the observed structural heterogeneity of the apoptotic pore.

scholarly journals Disordered clusters of Bak dimers rupture mitochondria during apoptosis

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel T. Uren ◽  
Martin O’Hely ◽  
Sweta Iyer ◽  
Ray Bartolo ◽  
Jason M. Brouwer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linkage Analysis ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Mitochondrial Outer Membrane ◽  
Protein Interface ◽  
Unknown Mechanism ◽  
The Core ◽  
Mathematical Simulations ◽  
N Terminus ◽  
Comprehensive Survey

ABSTRACTDuring apoptosis, Bak and Bax undergo major conformational change and form symmetric dimers that coalesce to perforate the mitochondrial outer membrane via an unknown mechanism. We have employed cysteine labelling and linkage analysis to the full length of Bak in mitochondria. This comprehensive survey showed that in each Bak dimer the N-termini are fully solvent-exposed and mobile, the core is highly structured, and the C-termini are flexible but restrained by their contact with the membrane. Dimer-dimer interactions were more labile than the BH3:groove interaction within dimers, suggesting there is no extensive protein interface between dimers. In addition, linkage in the mobile Bak N-terminus (V61C) specifically quantified association between dimers, allowing mathematical simulations of dimer arrangement. Together, our data show that Bak dimers form disordered, compact clusters to generate lipidic pores. These findings provide a molecular explanation for the observed structural heterogeneity of the apoptotic pore.

scholarly journals Biogenesis of Tom40, Core Component of the Tom Complex of Mitochondria

1999 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doron Rapaport ◽  
Walter Neupert
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Terminal Segment ◽  
Mitochondrial Outer Membrane ◽  
Core Component ◽  
Core Element ◽  
The Core ◽  
Tom Complex ◽  
Partially Folded Conformation ◽  
Import Receptor

Tom40 is an essential component of the preprotein translocase of the mitochondrial outer membrane (TOM complex) in which it constitutes the core element of the protein conducting pore. We have investigated the biogenesis of Tom40. Tom40 is inserted into the outer membrane by the TOM complex. Initially, Tom40 is bound as a monomer at the mitochondrial surface. The import receptor Tom20 is involved in this initial step; it stimulates both binding and efficient insertion of the Tom40 precursor. This step is followed by the formation of a further intermediate at which the Tom40 precursor is partially inserted into the outer membrane. Finally, Tom40 is integrated into preexisting TOM complexes. Efficient import appears to require the Tom40 precursor to be in a partially folded conformation. Neither the NH2 nor the COOH termini are necessary to target Tom40 to the outer membrane. However, the NH2-terminal segment is required for Tom40 to become assembled into the TOM complex. A model for the biogenesis of Tom40 is presented.

scholarly journals The Mitochondrial TOM Complex Is Required for tBid/Bax-induced Cytochrome c Release

2007 ◽  
Vol 282 (38) ◽  
pp. 27633-27639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ott ◽  
Erik Norberg ◽  
Katharina M. Walter ◽  
Patrick Schreiner ◽  
Christian Kemper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Recombinant Proteins ◽  
Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Mitochondrial Outer Membrane ◽  
Intermembrane Space ◽  
Outer Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Cytochrome C Release ◽  
Unknown Mechanism

Cytochrome c release from mitochondria is a key event in apoptosis signaling that is regulated by Bcl-2 family proteins. Cleavage of the BH3-only protein Bid by multiple proteases leads to the formation of truncated Bid (tBid), which, in turn, promotes the oligomerization/insertion of Bax into the mitochondrial outer membrane and the resultant release of proteins residing in the intermembrane space. Bax, a monomeric protein in the cytosol, is targeted by a yet unknown mechanism to the mitochondria. Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain this targeting specificity. Using mitochondria isolated from different mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and recombinant proteins, we have now investigated components of the mitochondrial outer membrane that might be required for tBid/Bax-induced cytochrome c release. Here, we show that the protein translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane is required for Bax insertion and cytochrome c release.

scholarly journals The N-terminal domain of Tob55 has a receptor-like function in the biogenesis of mitochondrial β-barrel proteins

2006 ◽  
Vol 176 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shukry J. Habib ◽  
Thomas Waizenegger ◽  
Agathe Niewienda ◽  
Stefan A. Paschen ◽  
Walter Neupert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structure Function ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Mitochondrial Outer Membrane ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Core Component ◽  
The Core ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
Tom Complex ◽  
Specific Manner

β-Barrel proteins constitute a distinct class of mitochondrial outer membrane proteins. For import into mitochondria, their precursor forms engage the TOM complex. They are then relayed to the TOB complex, which mediates their insertion into the outer membrane. We studied the structure–function relationships of the core component of the TOB complex, Tob55. Tob55 precursors with deletions in the N-terminal domain were not affected in their targeting to and insertion into the mitochondrial outer membrane. Replacement of wild-type Tob55 by these deletion variants resulted in reduced growth of cells, and mitochondria isolated from such cells were impaired in their capacity to import β-barrel precursors. The purified N-terminal domain was able to bind β-barrel precursors in a specific manner. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the N-terminal domain of Tob55 recognizes precursors of β-barrel proteins. This recognition may contribute to the coupling of the translocation of β-barrel precursors across the TOM complex to their interaction with the TOB complex.

Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Correlation Averaging of Frozen-Hydrated, Polymorphic 2D Crystals of the Mitochondrial Outer Membrane Channel

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-101
Author(s):  
Xiao-Wei Guo
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Hexagonal Lattice ◽  
Mitochondrial Outer Membrane ◽  
Rectangular Lattice ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Outer Membrane Channel ◽  
2D Crystals ◽  
Vdac Channel

Voltage-dependent, anion-selective channels (VDAC) are formed in the mitochondrial outer membrane (mitOM) by a 30-kDa polypeptide. These channels form ordered 2D arrays when mitOMs from Neurospora crassa are treated with soluble phospholipase A2. We obtain low-dose electron microscopic images of unstained specimens of VDAC crystals preserved in vitreous ice, using a Philips EM420 equipped with a Gatan cryo-transfer stage. We then use correlation analysis to compute average projections of the channel crystals. The procedure involves Fourier-filtration of a region within a crystal field to obtain a preliminary average that is subsequently cross-correlated with the entire crystal. Subregions are windowed from the crystal image at coordinates of peaks in the cross-correlation function (CCF, see Figures 1 and 2) and summed to form averages (Figure 3).The VDAC channel forms several different types of crystalline arrays in mitOMs. The polymorph first observed during phospholipase treatment is a parallelogram array (a=13 run, b=11.5 run, θ==109°) containing 6 water-filled pores per unit cell. Figure 1 shows the CCF of a sub-field of such an “oblique” array used to compute the correlation average of Figure 3A. With increased phospholipase treatment, other polymorphs are observed, often co-existing within the same crystal. For example, two distinct (but closely related) types of lattices occur in the field corresponding to the CCF of Figure 2: a “contracted” version of the parallelogram lattice (a=13 run, b=10 run, θ=99°), and a near-rectangular lattice (a=8.5 run, b=5 nm). The pattern of maxima in this CCF suggests that a third, near-hexagonal lattice (a=4.5 nm) may also be present. The correlation averages of Figures 3B-D were computed from polycrystalline fields, using peak coordinates in regions of CCFs corresponding to each of the three lattice types.

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