Understanding Periperal Membrane Protein Interactions | BPS Thematic Meeting

Understanding Peripheral Membrane Protein Interactions: Structure, Dynamics, Function and Therapy

Tuesday Speaker Abstracts

THE IMPACT OF THE LIPIDS ON BACTERIAL MEMBRANE PROTEIN EVOLUTION, ADHESION, AND VIRULENCE Linda M. Columbus 1 ; 1 University of Virginia, Dept. of Chemistry, Charlottesville, VA, USA The Columbus laboratory is investigating the dependency of membrane protein function on lipid environment using three proteins and many different biophysical approaches. Bacteria contain two distinct membranes, outer and inner, with different lipid compositions that vary both between membrane types and across bacterial species. The Columbus laboratory is investigating the impact of these membrane compositions on membrane protein structure, dynamics, and function using bioinformatic, biophysical, and biochemical approaches. Our current working hypothesis is that bacterial membrane proteins have evolved specific lipid interactions to adapt to organism-specific lipid compositions and facilitate conformational changes essential for protein function. The understanding gained from these investigations impacts our understanding of bacterial pathogenesis, therapeutic delivery, and antibiotic development.

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