Chong Ketpin, Tan Olivia Li Ling, Almsherqi Zakaria A, Lin Qingsong, Kohlwein Sepp D, Deng Yuru
Cubic Membrane Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
Protoplasma. 2015 Mar;252(2):689-96. doi: 10.1007/s00709-014-0698-9. Epub 2014 Sep 17.
Biological membranes with cubic symmetry are a hallmark of virus-infected or diseased cells. The mechanisms of formation and specific cellular functions of cubic membranes, however, are unclear. The best-documented cubic membrane formation occurs in the free-living giant amoeba Chaos carolinense. In that system, mitochondrial inner membranes undergo a reversible structural change from tubular to cubic membrane organization upon starvation of the organism. As a prerequisite to further analyze the structural and functional features of cubic membranes, we adapted protocols for the isolation of mitochondria from starved amoeba and have identified buffer conditions that preserve cubic membrane morphology in vitro. The requirement for high concentration of ion-chelating agents in the isolation media supports the importance of a balanced ion milieu in establishing and maintaining cubic membranes in vivo.
具有立方对称的生物膜是病毒感染或患病细胞的一个标志。然而，立方膜的形成机制和特定细胞功能尚不清楚。记录最详尽的立方膜形成发生在自由生活的巨型变形虫卡罗林纳混沌虫中。在那个系统中，当生物体饥饿时，线粒体内膜会经历从管状到立方膜结构的可逆结构变化。作为进一步分析立方膜结构和功能特征的前提，我们采用了从饥饿变形虫中分离线粒体的方案，并确定了在体外保持立方膜形态的缓冲条件。分离介质中对高浓度离子螯合剂的需求支持了平衡离子环境在体内建立和维持立方膜中的重要性。
