SFB 431:  Membrane Proteins: Functional Dynamics and Coupling to Cellular Networks

• Subject Area: Biology ; Medicine
• Term: from 1999 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5482909

The scientific focus of the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 431) is the analysis of structure and function of membrane proteins from cells and cellular organelles. These proteins are central to the communication of living cells and organisms with their environments including other organisms. Membrane proteins transport solutes and carry energy as well as information over the membrane. Solutes and energy are channeled within the cell to metabolic pathways, while the information is transferred from the membrane by complex signal transduction systems to cellular targets where they trigger responses such as in the form of altered metabolic fluxes, gene control, and changes in behaviour. Research of the SFB 431 accordingly aims first at the elucidation of the structure of such membrane-bound proteins, and of the conformational changes which occur upon transport across the membrane. Research aims second at the coupling of membrane-bound sensors to signal transduction systems and at the dynamics involved in these processes. Research objects are bacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms as well as plant, insect and animal cells.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• International Connection: Singapore

Completed projects

• D1 - Molekulare Dynamik von ATP-Synthase (Project Heads Engelbrecht-Vandré, Siegfried ;  Junge, Wolfgang )
• D2 - ATP-Synthase: Kontaktstellen der Kopplung von aktiven Zentren und Protonenfluss (Project Head Lill, Holger )
• D3 - Funktionelle Dynamik der ATP-Synthase (F1Fo) von Escherichia Coli (Project Heads Altendorf, Karlheinz ;  Grüber, Gerhard )
• D4 - Funktionelle Dynamik des Na+/Prolin-Transporters aus Escherichia Coli K-12 (Project Head Jung, Heinrich )
• D5 - Der Prokaroytische Kalium-Ionenkanal KcsA (Project Head Schrempf, Hildgund )
• D7 - Mechanismen des Proteintransportes über die Chloroplasten- und Mitochondrienmembran (Project Head Wagner, Richard )
• D8 - Photosynthetische Wasseroxidation (Project Head Junge, Wolfgang )
• D9 - Biomimetische Transportsysteme (Project Head Walder, Lorenz )
• K1 - Bakterielle Phosphotransferasen als Transport- und Signaltransduktionssysteme (Project Head Lengeler, Joseph )
• K2 - Regulation des Glucose-Phosphotransferase-Systems (IIglc) aus Escherichia Coli und seine funktion beim Induktorausschluss (Project Head Jahreis, Knut )
• K3 - Struktur und Funktion des Cellulose-Rezeptors AbpS von Streptomyces Reticuli (Project Heads Schrempf, Hildgund ;  Walter, Stefan )
• K4 - Das Kdp System von Escherichia Coli: Sensor und Transportsystem für K+ (Project Head Altendorf, Karlheinz )
• K5 - K+-Aufnahmesystem TrK der Prokaryoten (Project Head Bakker, Evert Pieter )
• K6 - Expression spannungsabhängiger Kaliumkanäle während der Elektrogenese von Nervenzellen (Project Head Jeserich, Gunnar )
• K7 - Molekulare Eigenschaften und physiologische Funktionen des plastidären ATP/ADP-Translokators (Project Head Neuhaus, Ekkehard )
• K8 - Regulation der Plasmamembran-V-ATPase von Manduca Sexta (Project Head Wieczorek, Helmut )
• N01 - Kontrolle des Zellwachstums durch nährstoffregulierte Signaltransduktion in der Spalthefe Schizosaccharomyces Pombe (Project Head Lorberg, Anja )
• P01 - Molekulare Mechanik der ATP-Synthase (Project Head Engelbrecht-Vandré, Siegfried )
• P02 - Regulation, Assemblierung und Dynamik der ATP-Synthase (F1Fo) von Escherichia Coli (Project Heads Altendorf, Karlheinz ;  Deckers-Hebestreit, Gabriele )
• P03 - Vacuolar H+-ATPases: Intra- and intermolecular interactions (Project Heads Huß, Markus ;  Wieczorek, Helmut )
• P4 - Der Prokaryotische Kalium-Ionenkanal KcsA (Project Head Schrempf, Hildgund )
• P05 - Identifikation und Charakterisierung modulatorischer Komponenten von Kaliumkanalkomplexen (Project Head Jeserich, Gunnar )
• P06 - The bacterial K+-uptake system KtrAB from bacteria (Project Head Bakker, Evert Pieter )
• P07 - The KdpFABC complex from Escherichia coli: Transport system for K+ (Project Head Greie, Jörg-Christian )
• P8 - Funktion und Dynamik des pH-Sensors und Transkriptionsaktivators CadC von Escherichia Coli (Project Head Jung, Kirsten )
• P10 - Funktionelle Dynamik des Na+/Protein-Transporters aus Escherichia Coli K-12 (Project Head Jung, Heinrich )
• P12 - Interaktionen der Cellulosesynthase mit der Saccharosesynthase und dem Cytoskelett (Project Head Winter, Heike )
• P13 - Struktur und Funktion des Cellulose-Rezeptors AbpS von Streptomyces Reticuli (Project Head Walter, Stefan )
• P14 - Regulation of the flucose-phosphotransferase system from Escherichia coli and its function in inducer exclusion (Project Head Jahreis, Knut )
• P15 - Dynamik und Kopplung der Membranproteine in Rhodobacter Capsulatus (Project Heads Junge, Wolfgang ;  Mulkidjanian, Armen )
• P16 - Mechanism of protein transport across chloroplast and mitochondrial membranes (Project Head Wagner, Richard )
• P17 - Oberflächenunterstützte Membranen: Proteinsensorik und biomimetische Transportsysteme (Project Head Walder, Lorenz )
• P18 - Molecular dynamics of transmembrane signal transduction studied by site-directed spin labeling and time resolved EPR spectroscopy (Project Heads Klare, Johann P. ;  Steinhoff, Heinz-Jürgen )
• P19 - Kontrolle des Zellwachstums durch nährstoffregulierte Signaltransduktion in der Spalthefe Schizosaccharomyces Pombe (Project Head Lorberg, Anja )
• P20 - Cell integrity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Sensors and signal transduction (Project Head Heinisch, Jürgen J. )
• P21 - In vitro analysis of nuclear mRNA export (Project Head Peters, Reiner )
• P23 - Chitin synthase: mechanisms and regulation of chitin synthesis in Manduca sexta (Project Head Merzendorfer, Hans )
• P24 - Role of membrane-integral and membrane-associated proteins in heart development and heart function in Drosophila (Project Head Paululat, Achim )
• P25 - Sorting and function of peripheral membrane proteins at the yeast vacuole (Project Head Ungermann, Christian )
• Z - Central Administration (Project Head Wieczorek, Helmut )

• Applicant Institution: Universität Osnabrück
• Participating University: Universität Münster
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Helmut Wieczorek