---
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: hybrid
PlanS_conform: '1'
_id: '21929'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 'The import of proteins into mitochondria poses fundamental mechanistic challenges:
    aggregation-prone precursor proteins must be maintained in aqueous compartments
    and threaded through narrow pores without becoming stuck or mislocalized. Recent
    evidence from mitochondrial protein import studies and other chaperone systems
    underscores the critical role of dynamics in balancing sufficiently tight binding,
    promiscuity, specificity, and release. Dynamic binding of client precursor proteins
    to import machinery components arises naturally from the avidity of their interactions.
    Conformational entropy enhances their stability, while the multivalent nature
    of these interactions ensures that client transfer to downstream insertases occurs
    without a substantial energy barrier. Here, we discuss this emerging paradigm
    of dynamic protein handling, using examples where dynamic structures have been
    resolved and highlight outstanding questions.'
acknowledgement: We gratefully acknowledge research funding by the Austrian Science
  Fund (FWF), projects 10.55776/PAT1647625 and 10.55776/I6223. We thank Prof. Long
  Li (Peking University) for providing structural models and EM density for the TOM
  and TIM23 complexes, used to generate part of Figure 3. Open Access funding provided
  by Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
article_number: e70630
article_processing_charge: Yes (via OA deal)
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Jakob
  full_name: Schneider, Jakob
  id: 64368429-eb97-11eb-a6c2-c980b1f44415
  last_name: Schneider
- first_name: Undina
  full_name: Guillerm, Undina
  id: bb74f472-ae54-11eb-9835-bc9c22fb1183
  last_name: Guillerm
- first_name: Caroline
  full_name: Simoes Pereira, Caroline
  id: 87266c4a-96d2-11ef-be2c-fe5633233ec3
  last_name: Simoes Pereira
- first_name: Paul
  full_name: Schanda, Paul
  id: 7B541462-FAF6-11E9-A490-E8DFE5697425
  last_name: Schanda
  orcid: 0000-0002-9350-7606
citation:
  ama: Schneider J, Guillerm U, Simoes Pereira C, Schanda P. Dynamic disorder is crucial
    for mitochondrial protein import. <i>Protein Science</i>. 2026;35(6). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.70630">10.1002/pro.70630</a>
  apa: Schneider, J., Guillerm, U., Simoes Pereira, C., &#38; Schanda, P. (2026).
    Dynamic disorder is crucial for mitochondrial protein import. <i>Protein Science</i>.
    Wiley. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.70630">https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.70630</a>
  chicago: Schneider, Jakob, Undina Guillerm, Caroline Simoes Pereira, and Paul Schanda.
    “Dynamic Disorder Is Crucial for Mitochondrial Protein Import.” <i>Protein Science</i>.
    Wiley, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.70630">https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.70630</a>.
  ieee: J. Schneider, U. Guillerm, C. Simoes Pereira, and P. Schanda, “Dynamic disorder
    is crucial for mitochondrial protein import,” <i>Protein Science</i>, vol. 35,
    no. 6. Wiley, 2026.
  ista: Schneider J, Guillerm U, Simoes Pereira C, Schanda P. 2026. Dynamic disorder
    is crucial for mitochondrial protein import. Protein Science. 35(6), e70630.
  mla: Schneider, Jakob, et al. “Dynamic Disorder Is Crucial for Mitochondrial Protein
    Import.” <i>Protein Science</i>, vol. 35, no. 6, e70630, Wiley, 2026, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.70630">10.1002/pro.70630</a>.
  short: J. Schneider, U. Guillerm, C. Simoes Pereira, P. Schanda, Protein Science
    35 (2026).
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2026-05-31T22:02:12Z
date_published: 2026-06-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-06-02T07:26:34Z
day: '01'
ddc:
- '572'
department:
- _id: GradSch
- _id: PaSc
doi: 10.1002/pro.70630
external_id:
  pmid:
  - '42159315'
file:
- access_level: open_access
  checksum: e0163459a7238fdcc3fc5e17bedcce9a
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: dernst
  date_created: 2026-06-02T07:23:12Z
  date_updated: 2026-06-02T07:23:12Z
  file_id: '21937'
  file_name: 2026_ProteinScience_Schneider.pdf
  file_size: 3897305
  relation: main_file
  success: 1
file_date_updated: 2026-06-02T07:23:12Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '        35'
issue: '6'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '06'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: bdb9578d-d553-11ed-ba76-ed5d39fce6f0
  grant_number: I06223
  name: Structure and mechanism of the mitochondrial MIM insertase
publication: Protein Science
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1469-896X
  issn:
  - 0961-8368
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Dynamic disorder is crucial for mitochondrial protein import
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 35
year: '2026'
...