Structural basis for fuzzy molecular recognition by fatty acid-binding protein

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24681045
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Living organism molecular science
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUOKA Shigeru 大阪大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任准教授 (60456184)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 分子認識 / 脂肪酸 / タンパク質 / 分子機構

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are small proteins for cytosolic delivery of fatty acids (FAs), which are used as fuels for aerobic exercise and/or raw materials for inflammatory mediators. We revealed that human heart-type FABP (FABP3) identifies FAs not by exact matching but by “fuzzy recognition” of fundamental structural similarities among numerous FAs, where two different type of water clusters are involved in measuring the length of string-like molecule FAs. This finding sheds light on molecular mechanism of a promiscuous lipid-protein interaction that would play key roles in FA-related diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and schizophrenic.

Free Research Field

生物分子化学