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Scientists have identified a protein called SPRIZ that acts as a molecular pillar inside mitochondria, controlling the size of the gap between their two membranes. This space — known as the intermembrane space (IMS) — turns out to be genetically regulated, and its dimensions directly influence how cells produce energy and handle calcium signals. The discovery could shed new light on diseases like Parkinson's, where mitochondrial function breaks down.
Scientists at the University of Ottawa have identified a protein called SPRIZ — short for SPatial Regulator of the mitochondrial Intermembrane Zone — that acts like a molecular pillar inside mitochondria, holding the two inner membranes a precise distance apart. Published in Science Advances, the study reveals that the volume of the intermembrane space (IMS) is not fixed but is genetically controlled and adjustable, giving cells an active way to tune how their energy-producing powerhouses function.
Using a combination of computer simulations, genetics, large-scale protein analysis, and 3D electron tomography, the team showed that altering SPRIZ changes the IMS dimensions — and with it, how molecules move through the space and how calcium signals reach the mitochondrial machinery. Mouse experiments confirmed that removing the SPRIZ gene changed membrane spacing without disrupting overall mitochondrial structure.
Quick Facts:
Why it matters: Disruptions in mitochondrial architecture are linked to diseases like Parkinson's, where damaged mitochondria aren't properly cleared. SPRIZ gives researchers a new molecular handle to study — and potentially target — these processes.
