Lipid droplet formation: Cooperative processes governing protein partitioning between mem-branes of distinct physicochemical properties (C09)

• Subject Area: Biochemistry
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 200049484

Lipid Droplets (LDs) are lipid storage organelles that create a unique physicochemical environment in the cell as their hydrophobic neutral lipid core is segregated from the aqueous cytosol by a phospholipid monolayer. The dynamic metabolic function of LDs relies on specific proteins that integrate into this mem-brane in a monotopic hairpin-type topology. This topology presumably facilitates partitioning of hairpin pro-teins from the endoplasmic reticulum bilayer membrane to LD monolayers; yet, the biophysical principles enabling hairpin proteins to reside in these distinct physicochemical membrane environments as well as the partitioning between them remain unknown. The central goal of this project is to determine which intrinsic protein features and which lipid-mediated parameters define a hairpin topology that allows bilayer-to-monolayer membrane partitioning. To this end a combination of biochemical and biophysical in vitro reconstitution experiments with molecular dynamics simulations is employed in a highly interdisciplinary approach.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1027: Physical Modelling of Non-Equilibrium Processes in Biological Systems
• Applicant Institution: Universität des Saarlandes
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Bianca Schrul