Journal
EMBO REPORTS
Volume 6, Issue 9, Pages 853-859Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1038/sj.embor.7400488
Keywords
membrane fusion; mitochondrial fusion; mitochondrial fission; membrane potential; Drp1
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Mitochondria are enveloped by two closely apposed boundary membranes with different properties and functions. It is known that they undergo fusion and fission, but it has remained unclear whether outer and inner membranes fuse simultaneously, coordinately or separately. We set up assays for the study of inner and outer membrane fusion in living human cells. Inner membrane fusion was more sensitive than outer membrane fusion to inhibition of glycolysis. Fusion of the inner membrane, but not of the outer membrane, was abolished by dissipation of the inner membrane potential with K+ ( valinomycin) or H+ ionophores (cccp). In addition, outer and inner membrane fusion proceeded separately in the absence of any drug. The separate fusion of outer and inner membranes and the different requirements of these fusion reactions point to the existence of fusion machineries that can function separately.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available