Zoom-in of an electrospray capillary (left) transferring proteins into the orifice of a mass spectrometer (right). Using this technology, the scientists analyzed mitochondria with a "gate" closed for proteins (cartoon) at molecular level.
A team of researchers have developed a new method that enables the identification of proteins imported into mitochondria. This leads to a better understanding of disease mechanisms linked to defective cellular functions. Eukaryotic cells contain thousands of proteins, which are distributed to different cellular compartments with specific functions. A Swiss-German team of scientists led by André Schneider from the University of Bern and Bettina Warscheid from the University of Freiburg has developed the method "ImportOmics". This method enables the scientists to determine the localization of proteins that are imported via specific entry "gates" into distinct membrane-bound compartments, so-called organelles. Knowing the exact localization of individual proteins, the route they take to reach their destination, and the overall composition of cellular compartments is important for understanding fundamental mechanisms of cell biology. This is the prerequisite to understand disease mechanisms that rely on defective cellular functions.
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