U.S.-Korea Cooperative Research on Structure and Function of Chemoreceptor Proteins

该提案要求资金，允许杰拉尔德·L博士。Hazelbauer，华盛顿州立大学生物化学/生物物理学系，与韩国科学技术高级研究院生物科学与工程系的Chankyu Park博士一起进行为期24个月的化学感受器蛋白质结构和功能合作研究计划。本研究的总体目标是有助于了解跨膜受体蛋白的功能机制。活细胞的一个基本特征是能够对特定的外部化学信号做出反应。大肠杆菌含有暴露在细胞表面的特异性受体，可以识别相关化合物。这些细菌是趋化性的，这是将受体连接到鞭毛的多组分感觉反应系统的功能的结果。要了解这些受体的功能机制，需要了解蛋白质上一个位置的配体结合或共价修饰如何影响与该位点分离的结构域的活性，蛋白质上不同位点的改变如何协同或拮抗地相互作用，以及信息如何通过膜传递。本项目涉及细菌化学感受器蛋白质的研究，称为换能器。涉及分离在一个或一个子集的换能器功能缺陷的突变体的遗传方法将与涉及在体内以及在体外的洗涤剂稳定的，纯化的状态下的突变蛋白的表征的生化方法相结合。该项目与美国的目标有关-韩国合作科学计划，旨在通过科学信息，思想，技能和技术的交流以及通过互利问题的合作来提高美国和韩国科学家和工程师之间的合作水平。

This proposal requests funds to permit Dr. Gerald L. Hazelbauer, Department of Biochemistry/Biophysics, Washington State University, to pursue with Dr. Chankyu Park, Department of Biological Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, for a period of 24 months, a program of cooperative research on the structure and function of chemoreceptor proteins. The general aim of this research is to contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms involved in the functioning of transmembrane receptor proteins. A basic feature of living cells is the ability to respond to specific, external chemical signals. The bacterium, Escherichia coli, contains specific receptors, exposed on the cell surface, that recognize relevant compounds. These bacteria are chemotactic as the result of the functioning of a multicomponent, sensory response system that links receptors to flagella. Understanding the mechanisms by which any of these receptors functions requires an understanding of how ligand binding or covalent modification at one place on a protein can affect activity of a domain separated from that site, how alterations at different sites on a protein can interact cooperatively or antagonistically, and how information is passed across a membrane. The present project involves a study of bacterial chemoreceptor proteins, called transducers. Genetic approaches involving isolation of mutants defective in one or a subset of transducer functions will be combined with biochemical approaches involving the characterization of mutant proteins in vivo as well as in vitro in a detergent-stabilized, purified state. This project is relevant to the objectives of the U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science Program which seeks to increase the level of cooperation between U.S. and Korean scientists and engineers through the exchange of scientific information, ideas, skills, and techniques and through collaboration on problems of mutual benefit.