Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Author Spotlight: A Computational Approach to Decipher Amino Acid Preferences in Multispecific Protein-Protein Interactions
Published on: January 26, 2024
An unstructured loop that is critical for interactions of the stalk domain of Drp1 with saturated phosphatidic acid
Yoshihiro Adachi1, Miho Iijima1, Hiromi Sesaki1
1a Department of Cell Biology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.
Abstract:
Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is a dynamin superfamily GTPase, which drives membrane constriction during mitochondrial division. To mediate mitochondrial division, Drp1 is recruited to the mitochondrial outer membrane and is assembled into the division machinery. We previously showed that Drp1 interacts with phosphatidic acid (PA) and saturated phospholipids in the mitochondrial membrane, and this interaction restrains Drp1 in initiating the constriction of mitochondria. Here, we show that the role of saturated acyl chains of phospholipids is independent of their contribution to the membrane curvature or lipid packing suggesting their direct interaction with Drp1. We further show that an unstructured loop in the stalk domain of Drp1 is critical for interaction with unsaturated PA. Our data significantly advance our understanding of this unique protein-lipid interaction involved in mitochondrial division.
Related Concept Videos
Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to...
Solution Equilibrium and Saturation
Critical Region, Critical Values and Significance Level
In hypothesis testing, a sample statistic is converted to a test statistic using z, t, or chi-square distribution. A critical region is an area under the curve in probability distributions demarcated by the critical value. When the test statistic falls in this region, it suggests that the null hypothesis must be rejected. As this region contains all those values of the...
Critical Values
The Citric Acid Cycle
Special considerations while measuring oxygen saturation
Ensuring accuracy in vital sign recordings while prioritizing patient comfort and minimizing anxiety is...

