Lifetime imaging of GFP at CoxVIIIa reports respiratory supercomplex assembly in live cells.

ABSTRACT: The assembly of respiratory complexes into macromolecular supercomplexes is currently a hot topic, especially in the context of newly available structural details. However, most work to date has been done with purified detergent-solubilized material and in situ confirmation is absent. We here set out to enable the recording of respiratory supercomplex formation in living cells. Fluorescent sensor proteins were placed at specific positions at cytochrome c oxidase suspected to either be at the surface of a CI₁CIII₂CIV₁ supercomplex or buried within this supercomplex. In contrast to other loci, sensors at subunits CoxVIIIa and CoxVIIc reported a dense protein environment, as detected by significantly shortened fluorescence lifetimes. According to 3D modelling

SUBMITTER: Rieger B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5382582 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature