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Barreling through the outer membrane

Nature Structural Biology volume 8, pages 284–286 (2001)Cite this article

The protein translocation channel of the outer mitochondrial membrane is thought to be a rigid β-barrel. Newly synthesized membrane proteins apparently do not escape laterally from this channel into the lipid bilayer, but must insert into the outer membrane from the aqueous phase. A study on the biogenesis of the mitochondrial outer membrane translocation machinery now shows that the subunit forming the protein import channel is first translocated across the outer membrane and then reinserted.

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Figure 1: Sorting pathway of Tom40 as proposed by Model et al.1.

Bob Crimi

Figure 2: Distinct properties of the translocation channels in the ER membrane and the outer mitochondrial membrane.

Bob Crimi

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology Cell Biology at Northwestern University, 2153 Sheridan Road, Evanston, 60208-3500, Illinois, USA

    Andreas Matouschek & Benjamin S. Glick

  2. Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, USA

    Andreas Matouschek & Benjamin S. Glick

Authors
  1. Andreas Matouschek
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  2. Benjamin S. Glick
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Correspondence to Andreas Matouschek or Benjamin S. Glick.

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Matouschek, A., Glick, B. Barreling through the outer membrane. Nat Struct Mol Biol 8, 284–286 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/86140

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