Crystal Structure of Mitochondrial Respiratory Membrane Protein Complex II Determined

摘要

Scientists at the CAS Institute of Biophysics (IBP) and Tsinghua University have gained new insights into the mechanism of mitochondria, the subcellular structures which generate energy for living cells. They have determined, for the first time in the world, the crystal structure of Complex II (also known as succinate: ubiquinone oxidoreductase), one of the four respiratory membrane protein complexes located in the mitochondrion. Mitochondria, as cellular organelles, are the "energy factory" of the cell and are mainly responsible for a cell's aerobic respiration. They realize energy transformation through the oxidation-phosphorylation process and provide most of the energy for cell activity. The oxidation process in mitochondria is carried out by four respiratory membrane protein complexes inside the mitochondrial inner membrane (Complex I, II, III and IV).