Doctor Jung-Hsing Lin
Forum Modellierung und Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung
Juelich, Germany

Informal

Thursday, May 18, 2000
3:00 pm (CT)
3169 Beckman Institute

Abstract

Lipid-protein interactions involved in the anchoring, insertion and aggregation of membrane proteins are of central importance in many fundamental processes in cells. In order to study the interactions of protein-membrane complexes, we have performed extensive computer simulations of melittin with POPC bilayers for the membrane bound state, the inserted state, and the final channel state. The Monte Carlo technique was employed to assemble the initial configuration of a tetrameric melittin pore in the lipid bilayer. AFM- like techniques were used to drag the melittin from the weakly bound state into the bilayer. It was found that melittin binds more strongly to the lipids when it is totally buried in the head group regimes of the bilayer. On the other hand, it is also shown that surface tension plays a very important role for the structure and stability of the pore.

Tea and coffee will be served in R3151 Beckman Institute at 2:15pm.