Tafazzin senses curvature

Abstract

The phospholipid-lysophospholipid transacylase tafazzin is responsible for enrichment of the cardiolipin fraction of mitochondria with tetralinoleoyl-cardiolipin. The specificity for linoleoyl hydrocarbon chains is now explained by the specific action of tafazzin on negatively curved lipid monolayers.

Figure 1

Schematic presentation of a mitochondrion. Shown are the inner membrane (1), outer membrane (2) and cristae (3). The transacylase tafazzin (4) prefers to interact with lipid monolayers that have negative curvature (shown in magnified membrane region). Phospholipids with diunsaturated linoleic acid chains selectively enrich in negatively curved monolayers. The selective action of tafazzin on those highly curved regions results in enrichment of the cardiolipin fraction with linoleic acid chains.