ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING INSIDE THE CELL:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130707162948.htm
The mitochondrion is the electricity generator that powers a eukarya cell. Cells are engineering marvels that display more advanced achievements in design than any human accomplishment to date. An example of the intricacy of the electro-biochemical systems associated with mitochondria are protein complexes called translocase of the inner membrane (TIM), which are inside the mitochondrial membrane. Components of the TIM complex facilitate the translocation of proteins across the inner membrane and into the matrix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translocase_of_the_inner_membrane.
One such TIM component, TIM23, is directly coupled to the energized state of the mitochondrial inner membrane, and changes its fundamental structure by altering the helical shape of protein segments that line the channel when voltage along the membrane's electrical field drops.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut recently learned that a central subunit of TIM23 forms a voltage-gated channel in the mitochondrial inner membrane (MIM), an energy-conserving membrane that generates a proton-motive force to drive vital processes. The abstract to their paper is available here,
Structural changes in the mitochondrial Tim23 channel are coupled to the proton-motive force
Nathan Alder, one of the authors of the paper, told Science Daily, "That the magnitude of the voltage gradient across the membrane could play a significant role in defining the structure of these proteins is probably one of the most significant elements of this research."
The Science Daily report provides an image where you can see a visual representation of the protein channel of the TIM23 complex. Structural changes occur when certain ions in protein conduct and exchange electricity. The UConn team hopes to identify the particular parts of the protein complex that are acting as voltage sensors in future research.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130707162948.htm
The mitochondrion is the electricity generator that powers a eukarya cell. Cells are engineering marvels that display more advanced achievements in design than any human accomplishment to date. An example of the intricacy of the electro-biochemical systems associated with mitochondria are protein complexes called translocase of the inner membrane (TIM), which are inside the mitochondrial membrane. Components of the TIM complex facilitate the translocation of proteins across the inner membrane and into the matrix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translocase_of_the_inner_membrane.
One such TIM component, TIM23, is directly coupled to the energized state of the mitochondrial inner membrane, and changes its fundamental structure by altering the helical shape of protein segments that line the channel when voltage along the membrane's electrical field drops.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut recently learned that a central subunit of TIM23 forms a voltage-gated channel in the mitochondrial inner membrane (MIM), an energy-conserving membrane that generates a proton-motive force to drive vital processes. The abstract to their paper is available here,
Structural changes in the mitochondrial Tim23 channel are coupled to the proton-motive force
Nathan Alder, one of the authors of the paper, told Science Daily, "That the magnitude of the voltage gradient across the membrane could play a significant role in defining the structure of these proteins is probably one of the most significant elements of this research."
The Science Daily report provides an image where you can see a visual representation of the protein channel of the TIM23 complex. Structural changes occur when certain ions in protein conduct and exchange electricity. The UConn team hopes to identify the particular parts of the protein complex that are acting as voltage sensors in future research.
