Single molecule tracking in live mitochondria of the protein transport machinery
Stoyan Tankov
The structure of the cell and its compartments became a matter of great interests once the cell was first observed under the microscope. Nowadays, when the basics of cellular anatomy are well known, scientists are trying to go deeper and understand all of the processes behind the complex structure of the cell.
Being an essential part of almost all eukaryotic cells the mitochondria are taking major part in energy production. They are involved in many important metabolic pathways and disturbance of their functions frequently results in the occurrence of different syndrome.
The aim of my project was to gain a small insight into molecular movements and interactions within the cell membrane and more precisely within the mitochondrial membranes.
By using the latest fluorescent microscopy techniques we designed a setup that could give us precise localization of a single protein molecule on the membrane within milliseconds Construction of a fusion of major protein in the mitochondria membrane sorting machinery, Tom40, with the fluorescent reporter protein Dendra2b, was made so that we could observe its diffusion behavior as a function of time and test whether the whole complex was unable to diffuse freely in contrast to predictions
The goal of this work was to give an understanding of the principles involved in the structure of the mitochondria membrane and to give more detailed knowledge about the molecular and architectural structures of cell membranes
Degree project in biology, Master of Science (2 years), 2010 Examensarbete i biologi 30 hp till masterexamen, 2010 Biology Education Center, Uppsala University
Supervisors: Vasili Haurilyuk
