Abstract 1550 TRANSIT – a new approach to identifying mitochondrial transporters

Solute carriers or transporters in the inner mitochondrial membrane encompass a group of 80–90 proteins in humans that are key components of mitochondrial function and metabolism. About one third are orphan transporters with no known substrates, and additional transporters remain functionally unclear or without mechanistic insight. The lack of direct biochemical methods for identifying transporter function without a priori knowledge of substrates is a major roadblock to identifying and studying mitochondrial transporters mechanistically, as well as understanding how mitochondria control the concentration of key cofactors and metabolites.