Resolving the molecular mechanism of ion channels by novel FTIR spectroscopic approaches

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Exploring the mysteries of our brain, and overcoming brain disease are the central aim of the China Brain Project. Failure in structure and/or function of certain ion channel proteins that are related to brain performance, can induce a variety of neurological diseases. However, the poor knowledge of the structure and function of such membrane ion channels limits the understanding of the mechanism of malfunction. To solve this issue, we are aiming to resolve the impact of the membrane potential on the functionality of membrane proteins on the atomistic level. Taking the membrane protein sensory rhodopsin II as an example, we were able to demonstrate by Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (SEIRAS) how an applied electric field affects the functional changes of a membrane protein monolayer, here a crucial proton transfer step. This achievement was based on the first collaboration between the German principle investigator (Joachim Heberle) and the Chinese principle investigator (Xiue Jiang), who has visited Germany as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow. The present research proposal builds further on this methodology by the application to bacterial homologues of ion channels that are key to brain function. Extending SEIRAS to the time domain will allow for tracing the dynamics of channel gating under an applied electric field. Finally, we aim to modulate the protein functionality by constructing a nanoparticle-membrane ion channel protein hybrid system which will provide new insight into pressing scientific questions in the field of brain science.