Cardiolipin in energy transducing membranes

Cardiolipin is a phospholipid located exclusively in energy transducing membranes such as the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane and the inner membrane of mitochondria. It plays both a structural and a functional role in many multimeric complexes associated with these membranes. The role of cardiolipin in higher order organization of components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain revealed by a combined molecular genetic and biochemical approach is described.