https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2013-13078-y
Regular Article
Dynamics measured by neutron scattering correlates with the organization of bioenergetics complexes in natural membranes from hyperthermophile and mesophile bacteria
19892
Institut Laue Langevin, 6 rue J. Horowitz, BP 156, F-38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
29892
UFR PhITEM, Université Joseph Fourier Grenoble I, F-38041, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
39892
Institut de Biologie Structurale, J.-P. Ebel, UMR 5075, CNRS-CEA-UJF, 41 rue Jules Horowitz, 38027, Grenoble, France
49892
Laboratoire de Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, UMR 7281-FR 3479, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France
* e-mail: peters@ill.fr
Received:
31
October
2012
Revised:
1
February
2013
Accepted:
26
February
2013
Published online:
17
July
2013
Various models on membrane structure and organization of proteins and complexes in natural membranes emerged during the last years. However, the lack of systematic dynamical studies to complement structural investigations hindered the establishment of a more complete picture of these systems. Elastic incoherent neutron scattering gives access to the dynamics on a molecular level and was applied to natural membranes extracted from the hyperthermophile Aquifex aeolicus and the mesophile Wolinella succinogenes bacteria. The results permitted to extract a hierarchy of dynamic flexibility and atomic resilience within the samples, which correlated with the organization of proteins in bioenergetics complexes and the functionality of the membranes.
Key words: Topical issue: Neutron Biological Physics
© EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2013