Proteïnes transportadores de membrana: estructura i funció

We plan to study three membrane transport systems: bacteriorhodopsin, meliobiose permease and ADP/ATP translocator. To study the molecular mechanims of proton transport bybacteriorhodopsin, we will design and produce several mutants, which will be analysed using several spectroscopic methods especially FTIR. Several strategies will be applied to study: a) the structural and functional role of Thr90 and Pro50, Pro91 and Pro 186; c) the relationship between the cytoplasmic and extracellular regions; d) using difference FTIR spectroscopy, the role of endogenous cations; e) the proton transport in the cytoplasmic region; f) the proton movement in the extracellular region. The melibiose permease will be studied by means of substrate-induced difference FTIR spectroscopy, by comparing the results among WT and several mutants. Likewise, the ADP/ATP translocator will be studied by FTIR in order to obtain H/D exchange kinetics and substrate-and inhibitor-induced difference spectra