Structural analysis of band 3 in the membrane

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23570201
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biophysics
• Research Institution: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (2013-2014); The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2011-2012)
• Principal Investigator: HIRAI Teruhisa 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, その他の研究科, 研究員 (10450412)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HAMASAKI Naotaka 長崎国際大学, 薬学部, 教授 (00091265)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 赤血球 / バンド３ / AE1 / 二次元結晶 / 電子線結晶学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We tried to improve the quality of two-dimensional crystal of band 3. We had already got vesicle-like crystals of outward-open band 3 but we tried to get sheet-like crystals to achieve higher resolution. For this purpose, we checked the quality of the sample carefully. We tried to eliminate minor contamination bands that probably corresponded to glycophorin A (GPA) and aquaporin-1. We also checked the stability of purified inward-open band 3 to seek for the other conformation. Besides crystallization efforts of band 3, we tried to purify the band 3 complex. We used Wright monoclonal antibody, which is known to bind to the band 3 and GPA complex, and we were able to get the purified band 3/GPA/Wright monoclonal antibody triple complex.

Free Research Field

電子線結晶学