Tetraspanin Enriched Microdomains - Web Formation and Function

Tetraspanins是一类小分子膜蛋白家族，广泛表达，参与多种细胞过程。已有文献证明，它们通过相互横向结合和大量其他分子结合来组织细胞膜，形成所谓的Tetraspanin网络。到目前为止，Tetrspanin网络的功能和结构还知之甚少。在对Tetraspanin网络的研究中，在前一个资助期，我们基本上得出了两个发现。首先，我们证明了CD81分子由于其δ环中编码的特异性而形成了同质簇。其次，我们发现Tetraspanin网络并不是由交联的小复合体组成的，而是一个类似于纳米团簇网络的网络。我们现在建议进一步探索Tetrspanin网络的解剖结构，研究产生团簇网络的机制，并检查Tetrspanin网络的分子动力学。这些洞察力将揭示那些生物上非常活跃的蛋白质形成复杂分子网络的潜在原理。

Tetraspanins are a family of small membrane proteins, ubiquitously expressed, and involved in an exceptional large variety of cellular processes. It is well documented that they organize the membrane by associating laterally with one another and a large number of other molecules, forming a so-called tetraspanin web.To date, the function and the architecture of the tetraspanin web are only poorly understood. Studying the tetraspanin web, in the previous funding period we made essentially two findings. First, we show that the CD81 molecule forms homomeric clusters because of the specificity encoded in its δ-loop. Second, we find that the tetraspanin web is not composed of crosslinked small complexes but resembles a network of nano-clusters.We now propose to explore further the anatomy of the tetraspanin web, to study the mechanisms that generate the cluster network and to examine the dynamics of molecules of the tetraspanin web. The insights will reveal the principles underlying the formation of the complex molecular networks formed by those biologically very active proteins.