Molecular recognition in the interfacial environment induced by lipid membranes

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560436
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biomolecular chemistry
• 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): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 脂肪酸 / 側方相互作用 / リポソーム / 熱測定 / 脂質－タンパク質相互作用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The cell membrane, a separator for the interior of cells from the outside environment, is formed by lipids which are relative insoluble in water. Its lipid component is not uniform and changes in　each small structural unit of the micro - nanometer scale to play key roles in the signal transduction and the mass transport across the cell membrane. Lipophilic compounds in vivo are not dissolvable in water, and are adsorbed on the surface of hydrophobic sites such as the cell membrane. Therefore, lipophilic compounds reacts with biomolecules in membrane bound structures rather than in aqueous solution structures. In this study, we succeeded in the quantification of the effect of the membrane lipid composition on the reaction between lipophilic compounds and soluble protein as free energy by using isothermal titration calorimetry.

Free Research Field

生体分子化学