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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Production of Disulfide-stabilized Transmembrane Peptide Complexes for Structural Studies
Published on: March 6, 2013
Small single transmembrane domain (STMD) proteins organize the hydrophobic subunits of large membrane protein
Volker Zickermann1, Heike Angerer, Martina G Ding
1Goethe-Universität, Fachbereich Medizin, Molekulare Bioenergetik, Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt "Macromolecular Complexes", Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Abstract:
The large membrane protein complexes of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation are composed of central subunits that are essential for their bioenergetic core function and accessory subunits that may assist in regulation, assembly or stabilization. Although sequence conservation is low, a significant proportion of the accessory subunits is characterized by a common single transmembrane (STMD) topology. The STMD signature is also found in subunits of other membrane protein complexes. We hypothesize that the general function of STMD subunits is to organize the hydrophobic subunits of large membrane protein complexes in specialized environments like the inner mitochondrial membrane.
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