Structure and dynamics of membrane lipids and proteins and their interactions

静态固体核磁共振利用生物膜内有限的分子迁移率来获得组成膜的分子的详细结构和动力学信息。由于固体核磁共振应用于生物分子固体和膜的领域仍处于起步阶段，因此许多研究计划都是为了开发新的见解，以及新的方法和途径。这个建议描述了一个广泛的方法来理解分子组织，分子动力学和膜的分子结构。主要解决两个问题：第一个问题涉及膜筏（流体-流体相共存区域）的存在和性质，第二个问题涉及膜肽和蛋白质的结构和动力学。这两个问题密切相关，因为了解膜内的相平衡和分子动力学将使设计膜蛋白结构研究的最佳核磁共振实验成为可能。胆固醇和多不饱和脂在定义膜性质中的作用也得到了解决。

Static solid state NMR takes advantage of the restricted molecular mobility within biological membranes to obtain detailed structural and dynamical information about the molecules which make up the membrane. Since the field of solid state NMR applied to biomolecular solids and membranes is still in its infancy, much of the research program is directed towards development of new insights, as well as new methods and approaches. This proposal describes a broad approach to understanding molecular organization, molecular dynamics and molecular structure of membranes. Two principle questions are addressed: the first deals with the existence and properties of membrane rafts (regions of fluid-fluid phase coexistence) and the second with membrane peptide and protein structure and dynamics. These two questions are intimately related since an understanding of the phase equilibria and molecular dynamics within the membrane will make it possible to design optimal NMR experiments for structural studies of membrane proteins. The roles of cholesterol and polyunsaturated lipids in defining the properties of membranes are also addressed.