Antibodies selected from whole antiserum by fusion proteins as tools for the study of the topology of mitochondrial membrane proteins. Evidence that the N-terminal extremity of the sixth alpha-helix of the uncoupling protein is facing the matrix.

The reactivity to freeze-thawed mitochondria or submitochondrial particles of a whole antiserum raised against the uncoupling protein has been investigated. Incubation with freeze-thawed brown adipose tissue mitochondria trapped antibodies reactive toward accessible parts of the uncoupling protein. One-third to one-half of antibodies against uncoupling protein which were present in the serum remained free. These antibodies were highly reactive with the vesicles obtained by sonication of mitochondria, in which the matricial side of the inner membrane was made accessible. To define epitopes recognized by the antiserum, different fusion proteins made up of MalE protein and uncoupling protein fragments were used. Immunoaffinity chromatography, using an immobilized purified fusion protein containing amino acids 253 to 290 of uncoupling protein, selected antibodies specifically directed against this part of the protein. A more precise localization of the main epitope recognized by these antibodies is proposed. These purified antibodies reacted with the protein only in submitochondrial particles, indicating a matricial orientation of this epitope. This result, associated with other data concerning uncoupling protein or related mitochondrial carriers such as the ADP/ATP translocator and the phosphate carrier, allowed us to determine the orientation of the sixth alpha-helix of the uncoupling protein.