New method for rapid isolation of mitochondrial ribosomes

The group of SciLifeLab Fellow Alexey Amunts (Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet) has published a new video on JoVE, describing their novel method for large-scale purification of intact ribosomes from human mitochondria. These mitoribosomes are central components of energy production, however their biochemical isolation was not well established. The described method, which has been developed at SciLifeLab, provides a rapid protocol for obtaining pure sample for biochemical and structural studies within only 7 hours. It can be easily modified and adapted to different cell culture types and scales. The technique can also be successfully applied to investigate intermediate formations during assembly, providing the recognition that it is possible to visualize how the human mitoribosome is formed with assistance of assembly factors.

Read and watch the full study in JoVE