Project description DEENESFRITPL Solving the mystery of mitochondrial respiration Mitochondria are considered the powerhouse of eukaryotic cells, facilitating the production of most of the required energy in the form of ATP. Enzymes of the respiratory chain are responsible for converting the energy released from catabolic processes within the cell to ATP. The EU-funded RESPICHAIN project will focus on complex I, the largest respiratory enzyme that consists of 45 subunits. Researchers will investigate the mechanism of energy transduction carried out by complex I and delineate its structure. The work will provide fundamental knowledge in biology and insight into the aetiology of many human diseases. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Eukaryotic life is made possible by energy production in mitochondria, where several large membrane protein complexes of the respiratory chain work in series to produce ATP. The structure and function of these complexes have been intensively studied over decades, but the mechanistic understanding is lacking due to their elaborate architecture. This proposal’s goal is to reveal the mechanism of energy transduction by the least understood of them: complex I, respiratory supercomplexes and transhydrogenase. Complex I is the largest respiratory enzyme, containing up to 45 subunits with a total mass of ~1 MDa. We have determined the first atomic structures of complex I from bacteria and mitochondria. Mammalian complex I usually exists as a supercomplex with complexes III2 and IV: we have determined the first architecture of this ~1.7 MDa physiological “unit” of respiration. The nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase couples proton motive force to mitochondrial redox homeostasis, working in tandem with the respiratory chain. We recently determined the first structure of transhydrogenase but its coupling mechanism remains controversial. Huge conformational changes are envisaged but not yet observed. The mechanism of coupling between spatially separated electron transfer and proton translocation in complex I is also a mystery. It is likewise not known why respiratory complexes are organised into supercomplexes. We will tackle all these questions by an integrative approach, solving the atomic structures of different catalytic states of the complexes by applying the latest cryo-EM methods to these extremely challenging targets. The comparison of structures, complemented by functional and computational analyses, will reveal the mechanistic basis for the function of these molecular machines, solving fundamental questions in biology. As these enzymes are involved in many severe human disorders, the acquired knowledge will also be instrumental to tackle mitochondrial diseases. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsnucleotidesmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiologyhomeostasisnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2020-ADG - ERC ADVANCED GRANT Call for proposal ERC-2020-ADG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant Host institution INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUSTRIA Net EU contribution € 1 781 133,00 Address Am Campus 1 3400 Klosterneuburg Austria See on map Region Ostösterreich Niederösterreich Wiener Umland/Nordteil Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 781 133,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUSTRIA Austria Net EU contribution € 1 781 133,00 Address Am Campus 1 3400 Klosterneuburg See on map Region Ostösterreich Niederösterreich Wiener Umland/Nordteil Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 781 133,00
