Visualizing active membrane protein complexes by electron cryotomography

Vicki A.M. Gold (), Raffaele Ieva, Andreas Walter, Nikolaus Pfanner, Martin van der Laan and Werner Kühlbrandt
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Vicki A.M. Gold: Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3
Raffaele Ieva: Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg
Andreas Walter: Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3
Nikolaus Pfanner: Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg
Martin van der Laan: Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg
Werner Kühlbrandt: Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Unravelling the structural organization of membrane protein machines in their active state and native lipid environment is a major challenge in modern cell biology research. Here we develop the STAMP (Specifically TArgeted Membrane nanoParticle) technique as a strategy to localize protein complexes in situ by electron cryotomography (cryo-ET). STAMP selects active membrane protein complexes and marks them with quantum dots. Taking advantage of new electron detector technology that is currently revolutionizing cryotomography in terms of achievable resolution, this approach enables us to visualize the three-dimensional distribution and organization of protein import sites in mitochondria. We show that import sites cluster together in the vicinity of crista membranes, and we reveal unique details of the mitochondrial protein import machinery in action. STAMP can be used as a tool for site-specific labelling of a multitude of membrane proteins by cryo-ET in the future.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5129

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