Graft Polymer Discs: A Novel Platform for Membrane Protein Analysis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K19057
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 35:Polymers, organic materials, and related fields
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: Nishimura Tomoki 信州大学, 学術研究院繊維学系, 助教 (60648070)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 安藤 満 京都大学, 医生物学研究所, 助教 (70737460)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ナノディスク / 膜タンパク質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we developed polymer nanodiscs based on temperature-responsive graft polymers to address the challenges in the structural analysis of membrane proteins. The polymers self-assemble to form nanodiscs, and small-angle scattering measurements revealed that these nanodiscs have hydrophobic regions similar in size to biological membranes. Additionally, we discovered that model membrane proteins can be directly incorporated into the nanodiscs using cell-free protein synthesis. Furthermore, this method confirmed that the membrane proteins are correctly folded and retain their functionality. These findings indicate that this new approach can solve the issues of traditional membrane protein solubilization methods and shows potential as a novel tool for membrane protein structural analysis.

Free Research Field

高分子材料

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、温度応答性グラフトポリマーベースのナノディスクを開発し、膜タンパク質の構造解析における課題の解決に寄与すると考えられる。この手法により、膜タンパク質が天然の構造を保持できることが示され、構造生物学研究における有用な技術となる可能性がある。今後、膜タンパク質の構造解析が進むことで、新しい治療薬の設計が期待される。特に、がんや神経変性疾患などの治療において、新たな治療法の開発が見込まれ、製薬業界やバイオテクノロジー分野で広く応用され、健康の向上に貢献することが期待される。