Max-Planck-Institut für experimentelle Medizin, Abteilung Immunchemie, Göttingen, Germany.
In mammalian cells porin channels are localised in both mitochondrial outer membranes and extra-mitochondrial membranes. We isolated mitochondria-derived porin of a human lymphoblastoid B cell line, determined its amino acid sequence and characterised its channel properties. Interestingly, the amino acid sequence of this porin preparation and, correspondingly, its electrophysiological characteristics in a reconstituted system were identical to those of 'Porin 31HL', the human type-1 porin purified from a crude membrane preparation of the same cell line using a different purification protocol. The results raise questions about targeting, insertion and orientation of human type-1 porin in different membranes.