Biology subjects

Agip, A.-N. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Agip, A.-N. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

In situ structure and rotary states of mitochondrial ATP synthase in whole cells

Cells depend on a continuous supply of ATP, the universal energy currency. In mitochondria, ATP is produced by a series of redox reactions, whereby an electrochemical gradient is established across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The ATP synthase harnesses the energy of the gradient to generate ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. We determined the structure of ATP synthase within mitochondria of the unicellular alga Polytomella by electron cryo-tomography. Sub-tomogram averaging revealed six rotary positions of the central stalk, subclassified into 21 substates of the F1 head. The Polytomella ATP synthase forms helical arrays with multiple adjacent rows defining the cristae ridges. The structure of ATP synthase under native operating conditions in the presence of a membrane potential represents a pivotal step toward the analysis of membrane protein complexes in situ.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Structural insights into complex I deficiency and assembly from the disease-related ndufs4-/- mouse

Respiratory complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is essential for cellular energy production and NAD+ homeostasis. Complex I mutations cause neuromuscular, mitochondrial diseases, such as Leigh Syndrome, but their molecular-level consequences remain poorly understood. Here, we use a popular complex I-linked mitochondrial disease model, the ndufs4-/- mouse, to define the structural, biochemical and functional consequences of the absence of subunit NDUFS4. Cryo-EM analyses of mouse-heart ndufs4-/- complex I revealed a loose association of the NADH-dehydrogenase module, and discrete classes containing either assembly factor NDUFAF2 or subunit NDUFS6. Subunit NDUFA12 (that replaces its paralogue NDUFAF2 in mature complex I) is absent from all classes, compounding the deletion of NDUFS4 and preventing maturation of an NDUFS4-free but otherwise complete enzyme. We propose NDUFAF2 as the recruiter of the NADH dehydrogenase module during assembly of the complex. Our results provide new molecular level understanding of the ndufs4-/- mouse model and complex I-linked mitochondrial disease.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

Cryo-EM structures of mitochondrial respiratory complex I from Drosophila melanogaster

Respiratory complex I powers ATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation, exploiting the energy from NADH oxidation by ubiquinone to drive protons across an energy-transducing membrane. Drosophila melanogaster is a candidate model organism for complex I due to its high evolutionary conservation with the mammalian enzyme, well-developed genetic toolkit, and complex physiology for studies in specific cell types and tissues. Here, we isolate complex I from Drosophila and determine its structure, revealing a 43-subunit assembly with high structural homology to its 45-subunit mammalian counterpart, including a hitherto unknown homologue to subunit NDUFA3. The major conformational state of the Drosophila enzyme is the mammalian-type ready-to-go active resting state, with a fully ordered and enclosed ubiquinone-binding site, but a subtly altered global conformation related to changes in subunit ND6. The mammalian-type deactive pronounced resting state is not observed: in two minor states the ubiquinone-binding site is unchanged, but a deactive-type{pi} -bulge is present in ND6-TMH3. Our detailed structural knowledge of Drosophila complex I provides a foundation for new approaches to disentangle mechanisms of complex I catalysis and regulation in bioenergetics and physiology.

biochemistry↗