All in the family: understanding a new class of bacterial toxins

全家人：了解一类新的细菌毒素

• 批准号: DP230101148
• 负责人: Prof Michael Parker
• 金额: $ 47.45万
• 依托单位: The University of Melbourne
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: Discovery Projects
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2023-01-01 至 2025-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/RGS/Web/Grants/DP230101148
• 关键词: family; understanding; new; class; bacterial

This project aims to unravel missing molecular details of how a major superfamily of proteins is able to drill holes in cell membranes. Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria all use pore-forming proteins as cell-killing weapons of mass destruction. Despite their lethal nature and their roles in infection and immunity, how these proteins work remains enigmatic. The outcomes could reveal novel mechanisms general to these proteins and provide fundamental insights in understanding vital physiological processes across all kingdoms of life. Ultimately, this knowledge may guide the design of artificial protein pores that are selective for specific molecules with applications such as measuring metal ions, sugars, pesticides or pollutants.

这个项目旨在揭开一个主要的蛋白质超家族如何能够在细胞膜上钻孔的缺失的分子细节。动物、植物、真菌和细菌都使用毛孔形成蛋白作为大规模杀伤性细胞的武器。尽管它们具有致命性，并在感染和免疫中发挥作用，但这些蛋白质是如何发挥作用的仍然是个谜。这些结果可能会揭示这些蛋白质普遍存在的新机制，并为理解所有生命王国的重要生理过程提供基本见解。最终，这一知识可能会指导人造蛋白质孔的设计，这种孔对特定分子具有选择性，应用于测量金属离子、糖、杀虫剂或污染物。