Metallomics study for the enhanced thermal stability of membrane proteins

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570158
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Functional biochemistry
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: KIMURA YUKIHIRO 神戸大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 助教 (20321755)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OTOMO Seiu 茨城大学, 理学部, 教授 (10213612)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 光合成細菌 / 膜タンパク質 / 耐熱性 / カルシウム / 全反射吸収赤外分光法 / 等温滴定熱量分析 / 共鳴ラマン分光法 / 原子吸光分光法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Purple sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Thermochromatium (Tch.) tepidum grows at the highest known temperature among purple bacteria. The light-harvesting 1 reaction center comples (LH1-RC) enhances the thermal stability by utilizing calcium ions. In the present study, metal-protein and metal-pigment interactions and metal-binding sites of the LH1-RC complex from Tch. tepidum were investigated by means of various physicohemical analyses. The results provided valuable information for understanding the moelcular mechanism responsible for the enhanced thermal stability of the Tch. tepidum LH1-RC complex.

Free Research Field

光合成