**************OWARI COMPLEX SEMINAR LXXVIII**************

Title:Probing the rules governing domain formation and protein partitioning in membrane

Speaker:Prof. John E. Straub

Affiliation:Boston University

Date:Wed. Nov. 14th, 3:30 pm (Almost one hour)

Place:Lecture Room 1 (1F) Graduate School of Informatics

Abstract:The importance of domains and interfaces to membrane function has been 
appreciated and explored through experiment, simulation, and theory for decades. 
Nevertheless, there remain fundamental open questions related to the role of micro-
heterogeneity (domains and domain interfaces) in supporting protein structure and 
function, including substrate recognition, catalysis, signaling, and assembly. We have 
utilized coarse-grained and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations employing enhanced 
sampling methods, as well as simple theoretical models, to investigate the formation 
and putative function of lateral heterogeneity in multicomponent lipid bilayers.  We report 
on our investigations of the role of lipid composition and domain interfaces on protein 
structure and in the co-localization of transmembrane and amyloid proteins in domain 
separated ternary lipid bilayers. We find that variations in lipid composition can 
"environ-mentally select" specific protein structures as well as preferentially partition proteins 
between domains and to domain interfaces. The potential functional role of this behavior 
is explored for enzyme-substrate interaction and protein assembly.  Overall, these studies 
provide insight into the nature of microheterogeneity in lipid bilayers and its potential role 
in cellular organization and function.
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