Mitochondrial Biology Lab

Mitochondria are an elementary organelle in eukaryotic cells having pivotal functions in bioenergetics, metabolism and apoptosis. Mitochondrial protein import machinery controls cellular metabolism, signaling, stress and pathogenesis of disease. The protein import activity acts as an indicator of mitochondrial health by means of regulating biogenesis, composition and turnover of mitochondria. Import of nuclear encoded mitochondrial protein requires different import machineries called translocons. In the inner mitochondrial membrane TIM 22 complex is required for the insertion of polytopic proteins.<br> I am interested in studying whether Tim22 complex is involved in biogenesis of mitochondrial respiratory chain components and how it functions in that respect. I will be also testing how these proteins are imported and do they have any specific physiological role. Mitochondrial Nde 1( NADH dehydrogenase) homologue of AIF in human, is known to execute cell death apart from their role in ETC. The idea is to look if TIM 22 complex has interactions with Nde1 and it's activities in the respiratory chain complex assembly.