Dresden 2011 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 16: Biological Membranes I
BP 16.2: Vortrag
Dienstag, 15. März 2011, 10:45–11:00, ZEU 260
Dynamic structure formation of membrane proteins — •Gernot Guigas1, Diana Morozova2, and Matthias Weiss1 — 1Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth — 2Cellular Biophysics Group, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg
Cellular membranes are not mere passive envelopes but act as a reaction space for a multitude of vital cellular processes. While it is generally anticipated that biomembranes are highly dynamic and self-organizing entities, molecular mechanisms that underlie structure formation on lipid bilayers are still far from being fully understood. Here, we show by means of coarse-grained membrane simulations that proteins can form higher-order structures due to membrane-mediated interactions. Structure formation originates from characteristic protein-induced bilayer perturbations that particularly affect the coupling between membrane leaflets. Examining transmembrane proteins as well as peripheral membrane proteins, we observe the formation of protein oligomers and templates, even between proteins residing in different membrane leaflets. Also raft-like cross-leaflet associations of proteins and lipid patches are observed. Key parameter of this structure formation is the protein geometry. Apart from their potential influence on the organization of biomembranes, these effects may also support the formation of templates for signaling processes, the assembly of transport intermediates, or protein sorting events.