The Functional Significance of Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Supercomplexes

Overview

Journal EMBO Rep

Specialty Molecular Biology

Date 2023 Oct 13

PMID 37828827

Authors

Andreas Kohler

Antoni Barrientos

Flavia Fontanesi

Martin Ott

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) is a key energy transducer in eukaryotic cells. Four respiratory chain complexes cooperate in the transfer of electrons derived from various metabolic pathways to molecular oxygen, thereby establishing an electrochemical gradient over the inner mitochondrial membrane that powers ATP synthesis. This electron transport relies on mobile electron carries that functionally connect the complexes. While the individual complexes can operate independently, they are in situ organized into large assemblies termed respiratory supercomplexes. Recent structural and functional studies have provided some answers to the question of whether the supercomplex organization confers an advantage for cellular energy conversion. However, the jury is still out, regarding the universality of these claims. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on the functional significance of MRC supercomplexes, highlight experimental limitations, and suggest potential new strategies to overcome these obstacles.

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