Summary
The substructure of the inner mitochondrial membranes has been studied by cryo-ultramicrotomy under conditions during which denaturation of proteins by treatment with chemical solutes has been totally avoided. In such preparations, the inner membrane has a substructure consisting of globular subunits. These subunits have an average diameter of ca. 20Å–ca. 62Å and are fairly regularly spaced. Intracristal space is absent in the unstained, freeze-dried preparations, whereas a space of ca 40Å is seen in preparations lightly treated by OsO4-vapour. It is concluded that the subunits of the inner mitochondrial membranes probably consist either of single protein molecules or of complexes of protein molecules.
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This work was supported by grants from The Norwegian Council on Cardiovascular Disease and from The Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities
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Sætersdal, T.S., Myklebust, R., Engedal, H. et al. Substructure of inner mitochondrial membranes of myocardial cells as shown by cryo-ultramicrotomy. Cell Tissue Res. 186, 13–24 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219651
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219651