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The Tom channel in the mitochondrial outer membrane: alive and kicking
Author(s) -
Bains Gabrielle,
Lithgow Trevor
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-1878(199901)21:1<1::aid-bies1>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - membrane , bacterial outer membrane , chromosomal translocation , compartment (ship) , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , inner membrane , mitochondrion , ultrastructure , inner mitochondrial membrane , biophysics , chemistry , biochemistry , anatomy , gene , oceanography , escherichia coli , geology
The targeting of newly‐made polypeptides to specific membranes, and the subsequent ability of a membrane to allow only certain polypeptides into its compartment, are essential to maintain the ultrastructure of Eukaryotic cells. Distinct oligomeric protein complexes in each cellular membrane catalyse these translocation processes. A recent report [Hill K et al. Nature 1998;395:516–521 (Ref. 1)] of the reconstitution of the translocation channel from the mitochondrial outer membrane, after producing the major structural component of the channel by recombinant means, promises a system to dissect in molecular detail the exact working of one of these protein translocation machines. BioEssays 21:1–4, 1999. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.