Higher-Order Structural Organization of the Mitochondrial Proteome Charted by In Situ Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry

Mitochondria are densely packed with proteins, of which most are involved physically or more transiently in protein–protein interactions (PPIs). Mitochondria host among others all enzymes of the Krebs cycle and the oxidative phosphorylation pathway and are foremost associated with cellular bioenergetics. However, mitochondria are also important contributors to apoptotic cell death and contain their own genome indicating that they play additionally an eminent role in processes beyond bioenergetics. Despite intense efforts in identifying and characterizing mitochondrial protein complexes by structural biology and proteomics techniques, many PPIs have remained elusive. Several of these (membrane embedded) PPIs are less stable in vitro hampering their characterization by most contemporary methods in structural biology. Particularly in these cases, cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) has proven valuable for the in-depth characterization of mitochondrial protein complexes in situ. Here, we highlight experimental strategies for the analysis of proteome-wide PPIs in mitochondria using XL-MS. We showcase the ability of in situ XL-MS as a tool to map suborganelle interactions and topologies and aid in refining structural models of protein complexes. We describe some of the most recent technological advances in XL-MS that may benefit the in situ characterization of PPIs even further, especially when combined with electron microscopy and structural modeling.