Molecular structure of mitochondria studied using cryoelectron tomography

Mitochondria are the powerplants of cells. How the enzymes in its inner mitochondrial membrane are made is largely unresolved. In this study, scientists used advanced 3D imaging (cryo-electron tomography) to study mitochondria. The researchers improved processing of 3D data with a user-friendly interface, fast processing from video games (GPU), and artificial intelligence to localize particles in the very noisy 3D images. Using these methods scientists visualized protein synthesis at the native inner mitochondrial membrane as well as the making of other proteins outside mitochondria before they get inside mitochondria. Comparison between yeast and man reveals surprising differences reflecting mitochondrial evolution.