New Developments In Lipid Protein Interactions And Receptor Function

A NATO Advanced Study Institute on "New Developments in Lipid-Protein Interactions and Receptor Function" was held on the Island of Spetsai, Greece, from August 16-27, 1992. This Institute was organized to bring together researchers in the field of membrane organization and dynamics with those actively involved in studies on receptor function, signal transduction mechanisms and gene regulation. 2 Presentations and discussions focussed on the regulation of intracellular Ca +-levels, on the second messengers derived from inositol lipids and on the specific phospholipase C isozymes involved in these processes. A major focus was on G-proteins and the effect of lipid anchors on their function. These principles of regulation were further discussed in the context of receptors for acetylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid and low-density lipoproteins. In addition, various aspects of the genomic regulation of cell growth and differentiation by transcription factors were presented. These topics were put into perspective by discussing the most recent developments in lipid-protein interactions, protein insertion into membranes, membrane lipid organization and lipid dynamics as mediated by phospholipid transfer proteins. This book presents the content of the major lectures and a selection of the most relevant of the most important topics posters. These proceedings offer a comprehensive account presented during the course of the Institute. The book is intended to make these proceedings accessible to a large audience.

Biological membranes have long been identified as key elements in a wide variety of cellular processes including cell defense communication, photosynthesis, signal transduction, and motility; thus they emerge as primary targets in both basic and applied research. This book brings together in a single volume the most recent views of experts in the area of protein–lipid interactions, providing an overview of the advances that have been achieved in the field in recent years, from very basic aspects to specialized technological applications. Topics include the application of X-ray and neutron diffraction, infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy, and high-resolution NMR to the understanding of the specific interactions between lipids and proteins within biological membranes, their structural relationships, and the implications for the biological functions that they mediate. Also covered in this volume are the insertion of proteins and peptides into the membrane and the concomitant formation of definite lipid domains within the membrane.

This second edition volume expands all chapters of the previous edition, which have been enhanced to cover the most recent developments, the current state of method research, and applications. Additional protocols were added to examine lipid-protein interactions by mass spectrometry, to use protein microarrays to investigate large sets of various proteins, to study membrane protein dynamics by UV resonance Raman spectroscopy, to analyze peptide-induced pore formation in membranes, and to investigate folding and insertion of membrane proteins. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and authoritative, Lipid-Protein Interactions: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is an essential resource for all researchers who are interested in obtaining up-to-date and comprehensive information about membrane structure and function.

Protein-lipid interactions as a field of study is now a mature area, and this volume of New Comprehensive Biochemistry has been published with two objectives in mind. Firstly, to look to the future, and try to envisage how the subject may develop in the near to medium future. Secondly, to present contrasting or complementary views on the same system. For example, the acetylcholine receptor is discussed from a predominantly structural aspect by Barrantes, and from the kinetic standpoint by Rankin, et al. The volume not only gives an update on specific aspects of the field, but also shows the way in which the phenomenon of protein-lipid interactions is now seemingly infiltrating many areas of biomembrane research, from recombinant DNA studies, protein insertion and assembly and reconstitution considerations to structural studies of membrane proteins.

In this book, renowned scientists describe how cholesterol interacts with various proteins. Recent progress made in the high-resolution visualization of cholesterol-protein interactions using crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy has substantially advanced the knowledge of critical features. These features enable specific recognition of the cholesterol molecule by proteins, a process that was built on earlier studies using binding assays, computational modeling and site-directed mutagenesis. Direct Mechanisms in Cholesterol Modulation of Protein Function offers comprehensive insights into the current understanding of cholesterol-driven modulation of protein function via direct sensing. Its nine chapters are organized into two distinct parts. In the first part, the chapters introduce the reader to the general characteristics of cholesterol binding sites in proteins. This part starts with a tour into common cholesterol recognition motifs, followed by an overview of the major classes of steroid-binding proteins. It then continues with two chapters that present a comprehensive analysis of molecular and structural characteristics of cholesterol binding sites in transmembrane and soluble protein domains. In the second part of the book, examples of cholesterol binding sites and consequences of specific cholesterol recognition for protein function are presented for G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels and cholesterol-transporting proteins. The book is valuable for undergraduate and graduate students in biochemistry and nutrition, as well as basic science and medical researchers with a keen interest in the biophysical properties of cholesterol and physiological consequences of cholesterol presence in biological systems.

In this book, renowned scientists describe the role of steroid chirality and modification of lipid membrane physical properties in the modulation of G protein-coupled receptors and ion channels. The application of commonly-used technical approaches such as mass spectrometry and nucleic magnetic resonance transfer spectroscopy for studies on cholesterol distribution and alteration of lipid bilayer characteristics is also discussed. This book offers comprehensive insights into the current understanding of cholesterol-driven modulation of protein function via mechanisms that extend beyond lipid-protein direct interactions. In the first part, the chapters introduce the reader to the use of the chemical derivatives of cholesterol as a valuable laboratory tool in the studies of cholesterol-driven modulation of protein function. In the second part, examples of cholesterol-induced changes in membrane physical characteristics are presented and discussed in light of their multifaceted contribution to the effect of cholesterol on protein function. The book will be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students as well as basic science and medical researchers with a keen interest in the biophysical properties of cholesterol and physiological consequences of cholesterol presence in biological systems.

This book describes the current state of knowledge in receptor function in the development of new drugs. Science is on the verge of viewing effector molecules and other regulatory sites as therapeutic targets for the amelioration of human and animal disease. The book reviews the availability of state-of-the-art tools that allow measurement of interactions and afford unprecedented insight into the biomolecular interactions that present novel approaches to drug design.