Protein unfolding: mitochondria offer a helping hand
Daniel N. Hebert
Daniel N. Hebert is in the Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst,
MA 01003, USA. dheber@biochem.umass.edu
Post-translocational protein import into mitochondria requires that the
protein be unfolded prior to import. Mapping the mitochondrial-assisted unfolding
pathway of a cargo protein and demonstrating that it deviates from the spontaneous
unfolding pathway have provided valuable insight into the energetics of the
translocation process.
