Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Charge-Charge Interactions in Proteins

蛋白质中电荷相互作用的实验和理论研究

• 批准号: 1330249
• 负责人: George Makhatadze
• 金额: $ 117.86万
• 依托单位: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-01 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1330249&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Experimental; Theoretical; Studies; Charge; Interactions

The major goal of this research project, jointly funded by Molecular Biophysics in the Division of MCB and Physics of Living Systems Program in the Division of Physics, is to understand the role of charge-charge interactions in determining the thermodynamic stability of proteins and modulation of the folding energy landscape. It relies on the synergy between computer simulations and experiments. This study will test the hypothesis that charge-charge interactions on the protein surface are important determinants of the folding energy landscape. Approaches developed during the previous funding cycle significantly advanced the ability to predict the effects of surface charge-charge interactions on protein stability and provided an important tool that allows the combination of computer simulations, inspired by the energy landscape theory, with experimental measurements of the rates for protein folding/unfolding. Specific questions that will be addressed are: What is the role of charge-charge interactions in shaping the folding energy landscape? What is the effect that electrostatic interactions have on defining the protein kinetic stability? What is the role of salt-bridges in defining the stability of collagen molecule? The PI is actively involved in curriculum development and serves as an Undergraduate curriculum adviser for Biochemistry and Biophysics majors at RPI. In addition he engages high school, undergraduate and graduate students in both computational and experimental aspects of research in his laboratory. Over 50% of trainees are females or members of underrepresented minorities. The majority of the high-school and undergraduate students who were trained in the lab continue their education in STEM disciplines. The research will provide a systematic study of the mechanism of protein stabilization by charge-charge interactions by uniquely combining a variety of biochemical, biophysical and computational tools. As such, it is expected that the knowledge accumulated as a result of these experiments will lay the foundation to future studies of these fundamentally important issues with broad implications for many different areas of biotechnology that use proteins including development of next generation of biosensors, environmentally friendly catalysts and robust biomaterials.

该研究项目的主要目的是由分子生物物理学在MCB和生物系统划分的物理学划分中共同资助的，是要了解电荷 - 电荷相互作用在确定蛋白质的热力学稳定性以及调节能量景观中的作用。 它依赖于计算机模拟和实验之间的协同作用。 这项研究将检验以下假设：蛋白质表面上的电荷 - 电荷相互作用是折叠能量景观的重要决定因素。 在上一个融资周期中开发的方法显着提高了预测表面电荷 - 电荷相互作用对蛋白质稳定性的影响的能力，并提供了一种重要的工具，该工具允许由能量景观理论的启发计算机模拟的组合以及对蛋白质折叠/展开速率的实验测量。 将要解决的具体问题是：电荷 - 电荷相互作用在塑造折叠能量环境中的作用是什么？ 静电相互作用对定义蛋白质动力学稳定性有什么影响？ 盐桥在定义胶原蛋白分子的稳定性中的作用是什么？ PI积极参与课程开发，并担任RPI生物化学和生物物理专业的本科课程顾问。 此外，他还参与了高中，本科生和研究生在其实验室研究的计算和​​实验方面。 超过50％的学员是女性或代表性不足的少数民族的成员。 在实验室接受培训的大多数高中和本科生都将继续接受STEM学科的教育。 这项研究将通过唯一结合多种生化，生物物理和计算工具来实现通过电荷荷兰相互作用来对蛋白质稳定的机理进行系统的研究。 因此，预计由于这些实验而积累的知识将为对这些根本重要问题的未来研究奠定基础，对使用蛋白质的许多不同领域的广泛含义，这些领域使用蛋白质，包括开发下一代生物传感器，环保型催化剂和强大的生物材料。