2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Challenges of visualizing the conformational changes of prestin using an atomic force microscope equipped with a membrane potential control device

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23659790
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Otorhinolaryngology
Research Institution	Tohoku University
Principal Investigator	WADA Hiroshi 東北大学, 大学院・工学研究科, 教授 (30111264)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	MURAKOSHI Michio 東北大学, 大学院・工学研究科, 助教 (70570901) KOYAMA Shin 東北大学, 大学院・工学研究科, 助教 (10465487) KOBAYSHI Toshimitsu 東北大学, 大学院・医学系研究科, 教授 (80133958)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2012
Keywords	耳科学
Research Abstract	A membrane potential control device, which induces the conformational changes of prestin expressed in the plasma membrane, has been newly developed. Microstructures and electrophysiological properties of the prestin-expressing culture cells and the prestin-reconstituted lipid bilayer were measured by using this device. As a result, it was suggested that the conformational changes of proteins in the plasma membrane may possibly be visualized when the membrane potential is controlled using the developed device. Based on the findings obtained in this study, further research to visualize the conformational changes of prestin reconstituted in the lipid bilayer will be performed using this device.