Prohibitin family; SPFH (stomatin, prohibitin, flotillin, and HflK/C) superfamily
This model characterizes proteins similar to prohibitin (a lipid raft-associated integral membrane protein). Individual proteins of the SPFH (band 7) domain superfamily may cluster to form membrane microdomains which may in turn recruit multiprotein complexes. These microdomains, in addition to being stable scaffolds, may also be dynamic units with their own regulatory functions. Prohibitin is a mitochondrial inner-membrane protein which may act as a chaperone for the stabilization of mitochondrial proteins. Human prohibitin forms a hetero-oligomeric complex with Bap-37 (prohibitin 2, an SPFH domain carrying homolog). This complex may protect non-assembled membrane proteins against proteolysis by the m-AAA protease. Prohibitin and Bap-37 yeast homologs have been implicated in yeast longevity and in the maintenance of mitochondrial morphology.