Cooperativity of Membrane Lipid Domain Organization Mediated by Peripherally Associated Proteins: Principles and Visualization (B04)

• Subject Area: Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: from 2010 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 104405829

Cellular membranes are highly dynamic entities that organize into spatially and temporally restricted domains containing specific sets of lipids and proteins. This dynamic membrane organization is of fundamental importance for many cellular processes including signal transduction and membrane trafficking. By combining biochemical and chemical approaches, the project addresses the question whether lipid microdomain formation is mediated primarily by cooperative lipid-lipid or lipid-protein interactions. A specific focus is on the membrane binding protein annexin A2 that can induce the formation of cholesterol-rich membrane domains. In a second part this project addresses the synthesis and characterization of novel lipid-like imidazolium salts that will be used to visualize and specifically manipulate cholesterol-rich membrane domains.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 858: Synergetic Effects in Chemistry - From Additivity towards Cooperativity
• Applicant Institution: Universität Münster
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Hans Joachim Galla, until 12/2015; Professor Dr. Volker Gerke; Professor Dr. Frank Glorius; Professor Dr. Andreas Heuer, until 12/2017