Structure of the outer mitochondrial membrane: ordered arrays of porelike subunits in outer-membrane fractions from Neurospora crassa mitochondria.

Light-membrane fractions obtained by hypoosmotic lysis of neurospora crassa mitochondria exhibit buoyant densities and marker-enzyme activities characteristic of outer mitochondrial membranes. SDS PAGE of these membrane fractions indicates that a polypeptide of M(r) 31,000 is the main protein component. Under negative-stain electron microscope examination many of the membranes in these fractions appear as large (0.5-1- mum diameter), collapsed vesicles. The surfaces of flattened, open (i.e., ripped) vesicles often exhibit extended two-dimensional arrays of subunits are arranged into hexagons within each parallelogram unit cell, 12.6x11.1 nm (lattice angle = 109 degrees).