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A Method Aimed at Assessing the Functional Consequences of the Supramolecular Organization of the Respiratory Electron Transfer Chain by Time-Resolved Studies

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Mitochondrial Regulation

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1241))

Abstract

A steadily increasing number of physiological, biochemical, and structural studies have provided a growing support to the notion that the respiratory electron transfer chain may contain supra-molecular edifices made of the assembly of some, if not all, of its individual links. This structure, usually referred to as the solid state model—in comparison to the liquid state model in which the electron transfer reactions between the membrane bound enzymes are diffusion controlled—is seen as conferring specific kinetic properties to the chain and thus as being highly relevant from a functional point of view. Although the assumption that structural changes are mirrored by functional adjustment is undoubtedly legitimate, experimental evidences supporting it remain scarce. Here we review a recent methodological development aimed at tackling the functional relevance of the supramolecular organization of the respiratory electron transfer chain in intact cells.

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Acknowledgements

Warm acknowledgements are due to Daniel Béal and Martin Trouillard without whom the photo-activated respiratory electron transfer chain would have remained a project. This work was supported by CNRS, by the ANR (ANR-07-BLAN-0360-01), and by the “Initiative d’Excellence” program from the French State (Grant “DYNAMO”, ANR-11-LABX-0011-01).

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  1. Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, UMR 7141 CNRS-UPMC, 13 rue P et M Curie, 75005, Paris, France

    Fabrice Rappaport Ph.D.

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  1. Fabrice Rappaport Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Fabrice Rappaport Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Sciences and Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Carlos M. Palmeira

  2. Department of Biology and Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Aveiro and University of Coimbra, Aveiro and Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela P. Rolo

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Rappaport, F. (2015). A Method Aimed at Assessing the Functional Consequences of the Supramolecular Organization of the Respiratory Electron Transfer Chain by Time-Resolved Studies. In: Palmeira, C., Rolo, A. (eds) Mitochondrial Regulation. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1241. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1875-1_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1875-1_9

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1874-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1875-1

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