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Updated: Oct 21, 2026

Inner Mitochondrial Membrane Sensitivity to Na+ Reveals Partially Segmented Functional CoQ Pools
Published on: July 20, 2022
Quinone-trapping filaments enhance respiratory capacity
1Department of Chemistry and Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Microbes-for-Climate (M4C) Cluster of Excellence, Marburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Cells expand respiratory capacity by adding internal membranes or forming cristae. A new study by Kropp and colleagues shows that the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis instead builds hollow protein filaments that sequester and transport quinones, extending the cell's respiratory capacity without adding membranes. This strategy, widespread across Bacillota, reveals an alternative route to bioenergetic expansion.
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