In-membrane protein oligomerization as a critical step for membrane pore formation

Abstract

Oligomerization of membrane proteins into multicomponent units is often critical for their function (or dysfunction). To give an example for all, apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death, is induced at the molecular level by a change in the aggregation behavior of proteins, subsequent formation of protein complexes with a broad distribution of oligomerization numbers, and finally opening of functional pores in the mitochondrial membrane. Despite this knowledge, it is unclear which of these complexes are functional, i.e.