Nikolaus Pfanner

Professor and Chair of Biochemistry
Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Freiburg, Germany

"Mitochondrial machineries for import and assembly of proteins"

Mitochondria fulfil central functions in bioenergetics, cellular metabolism and
signalling. The lecture will address how mitochondria import about 1,000 different
proteins from the cytosol via specific membrane-bound preprotein translocases, how
the proteins are sorted to their correct intramitochondrial location, and how protein
transport is connected to the characteristic membrane architecture of mitochondria.
Protein translocases do not function as independent units, but are integrated into a
network of machineries that function in bioenergetics, metabolism, membrane
morphology and formation of organelle contact sites, indicating a higher level
organization of cell organelles.