ANIONIC LIPIDS AND MITOCHONDRIAL STRUCTURE

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Dowhan's group has isolated mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that lack the mitochondrial specific lipids cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol (pgs1) or just lack cardiolipin with increased phosphatidylglycerol (crd1). Pgs1 cells are respiratory deficient, have low mitochondrial membrane potential,and are blocked in the translation of all mitochondrial encoded components of the respiratory chain. They are viable on fermentable carbon sources and we know by light microscopy that their mitochondrial morphology is altered. Crd1 cells grow reasonably well by respiration but we know that the supermolecular complex normally present between Complexes III and IV of the respiratory chain is destabilized in the absense of cardiolipin. This strain also shows grow defects when stressed under respiratory growth conditions. They are interested in detailed morphological information on the structure of the mitochondria of both cells types. In particular tomagraphic reconstruction of mitochondria and their cristae is of interest. If organization of complexes along the cristae is possible, this would also be of interest to correlate with our biochemical data. At the moment they would rely on the NCMIR personel to carry out the studies -- although given protocols by NCMIR, samples would be prepared in Houston.