Lisa Theorin

 

Membrane proteins are essential for all cells, including a synthetic cell. They are involved in nutrient uptake, drug transport, signaling and many other functions. Lipid flippases regulate the lipid arrangement across membranes by pumping lipids from one side of the membrane to the other, creating local changes in membrane curvature. In this way lipid flippases serve an important role in vesicular traffic. To study lipid flippases and other pumps we use giant unilamellar vesicles, 10 to 100 µm in diameter. Their size makes it possible to study active pumps in a light microscope. Giant vesicles can be created with complex lipid compositions resulting in lipid domain formation, lipid rafts. These rafts can be visualized by fluorescent lipophilic probes, which are either excluded or included in the rafts, giving us a tool to study the lipid preference of fluorescently tagged pumps, thereby identifying optimal conditions for membrane proteins. Elucidating the function and minimal pumping complex of lipid flippases is an important tool for an artificial system.  Budding of vesicles, maintenance of lipid exposure, activation of other proteins, and signaling are a few of the potential uses of a lipid flippase in an artificial cell.

 

Publication:

SC. Nilsson, I. Nita, L. Månsson, TW. Groeneveld, LA. Groeneveld, BO. Villoutreix, AM. Blom.

Analysis of binding sites on complement factor I that are required for its activity.

J Biol Chem. 2010 Feb 26;285(9):6235-45. Epub 2009 Dec 31. (maiden name, Lisa Månsson)