Biophysical Society Thematic Meeting| Padova 2019

Quantitative Aspects of Membrane Fusion and Fission

Poster Abstracts

9-POS Board 9 CRYO-EM AND KINETIC ANALYSIS OF OPA1-MEDIATED MITOCHONDRIAL INNER MEMBRANE FUSION Luke Chao ; 1 Massachusetts General Hospital, Molecular Biology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 2 Harvard Medical School, Genetics, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Mitochondrial membrane dynamics and ultrastructure are intimately tied to the organelle functional state. OPA1 is the mitochondrial inner membrane fusogen and plays roles in cristae morphology. We present preliminary single-particle Cryo-EM reconstructions of OPA1 indicating multiple nucleotide-dependent conformational states. With an in vitro reconstitution system, we distinguish nucleotide and lipid-dependent membrane tethering by OPA1, and discuss work to relate protein conformational state with the hemifusion and pore-opening steps in membrane fusion.

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