Hybrid membranes of single ion channels and biological two-dimensional materials

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H00846
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 28:Nano/micro science and related fields
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Hirano Ayumi 東北大学, 電気通信研究所, 教授 (80339241)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 但木 大介 東北大学, 電気通信研究所, 助教 (30794226) ; 馬 騰 東北大学, 材料科学高等研究所, 助教 (10734543) ; 山本 英明 東北大学, 電気通信研究所, 准教授 (10552036) ; 小宮 麻希 東北大学, 電気通信研究所, 助教 (00826274) ; 戸澤 譲 埼玉大学, 理工学研究科, 教授 (90363267)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 単一イオンチャネル / バイオ二次元物質 / 脂質二分子膜 / 微細加工技術

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel is a cardiac potassium channel. This channel has attracted attention because a diverse group of drugs has been found to unintentionally block hERG channels, sometimes causing fatal arrhythmias. Through the combination of in vitro expression systems and lipid bilayer systems, a cell-free synthesized hERG channel was incorporated in the lipid bilayers, and the interaction between the channel and drug was quantified at the single-molecule level.
In addition to the conventional transmembrane voltage, we propose lateral voltage as a new input for use in bilayer lipid membranes. We fabricated an electrode-equipped membrane support to apply a lateral voltage to the lipid bilayers. We found that the lateral voltage effectively regulates the transmembrane current, in both channel-incorporated and fullerene-incorporated lipid bilayers, suggesting that the lateral voltage is a practicable and useful input for artificial cell membrane systems.

Free Research Field

バイオエレクトロニクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

無細胞合成hERGチャネルと脂質二分子膜系の融合によりhERG遺伝子型と薬物副作用リスクのデータベースが構築できれば，未来の個別化医療における適切な治療薬の選択の一助となる．また，細胞膜における膜平行電圧は，従来の膜貫通電圧とは全く異なる新しい概念であり，これに基づく膜タンパク質のための新規機能計測場を創出できれば，細胞膜科学における新学理の創出につながると期待される．