Dimers of mitochondrial ATP synthase induce membrane curvature and self-assemble into rows

Thorsten B. Blum, Alexander Hahn, Thomas Meier, Karen M. Davies, and Werner Kühlbrandt

 

• ATP synthase is known to form dimers which form rows along curved ridges of mitochondrial cristae
• It has been suggested previously through computer simulation that these rows of ATP synthase cause local curvature
• This study shows experimentally, for the first time, that ATP synthase dimers spontaneously assemble into rows, and that these rows bend the membrane.
• The authors suggest that assembly of ATP synthase dimers into rows is likely the first step in the formation of cristae