Lipid-water interactions involved in membrane biofunctions

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560448
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Chemical biology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Murata Michio 大阪大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (40183652)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 配座解析 / 分子運動 / 疎水性相互作用 / 脂質二重膜 / 脂肪酸 / 結合タンパク質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cell membranes consist of lipids and proteins, where lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions in the aqueous environment plays essential roles in various cellular events. Hydrophobic interactions are known to be essential for the molecular recognitions responsible for stabilization of membrane proteins. In this project, the role of water molecules in lipid-protein interactions was investigated using calorimetry, X-ray crystallography, and molecular simulations. The results clearly show that water molecules in the binding pocket of fatty acid is stabilized by hydrogen-bond network between water and sidechains and thus, changes in sidechain residues do not lead to the significant movement of the bound ligand and water molecules.

Free Research Field

複合領域　　生体分子化学　ケミカルバイオロジー