The secondary structure of the presequence of cytochrome oxidase subunit IV (p25) was studied by circular dichroism and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance in micelles of dodecylphosphoeholine (DPC) and mixed micelles of DPC and mitocbondrial cardiolipin (CL). In both systems, a-helix formation ~as observed. The a-helix stretches from the N-to the C-terminus with a break at the proline residue at position 13. Upon introduction of CL in the DPC mieellar system, an increased stability of the helix was observed around proline ~3 and in the (i-terminal hall This observation, together with reported results on specific interactions between CL and p25, led to the proposal of a two-state equilibrium of the a-helical conformation of p25, modulated by CL.