Major
Chemistry
Research Abstract
ABC transporters serve a broad range of vital functions. Promiscuous ABC transportersIts dysfunctionality will cause cystic fibrosis and Stargardt disease, as well as certain medical complications like antibiotic drug resistance. Despite the importance of these transporters in crucial biological processes, the mechanisms of many transporters are yet to be solved.
To further understand the mechanism of ABC transporters, we focus on the E. coli methionine ABC importer MetNI. Since the bacterium needs to vary methionine import based on cellular needs, MetNI ATPase activity and coupled substrate transport must be properly regulated. Our current goal is to decode the mechanism of MetNIQ system using real-time ATPase assay and Anisotropy.
Here we present our preliminary work on analyzing the kinetics of MetNIQ system under various substrate conditions as well as nucleotide states. This detailed study of MetNIQ kinetics will ultimately provide insight into the mechanism of methionine import, which may bring insights on the overall ABC transporter superfamily.
Faculty Mentor/Advisor
Janet Yang
KeyNote Presentation
Decoding the Mechanism of the Methionine ABC Transporter
ABC transporters serve a broad range of vital functions. Promiscuous ABC transportersIts dysfunctionality will cause cystic fibrosis and Stargardt disease, as well as certain medical complications like antibiotic drug resistance. Despite the importance of these transporters in crucial biological processes, the mechanisms of many transporters are yet to be solved.
To further understand the mechanism of ABC transporters, we focus on the E. coli methionine ABC importer MetNI. Since the bacterium needs to vary methionine import based on cellular needs, MetNI ATPase activity and coupled substrate transport must be properly regulated. Our current goal is to decode the mechanism of MetNIQ system using real-time ATPase assay and Anisotropy.
Here we present our preliminary work on analyzing the kinetics of MetNIQ system under various substrate conditions as well as nucleotide states. This detailed study of MetNIQ kinetics will ultimately provide insight into the mechanism of methionine import, which may bring insights on the overall ABC transporter superfamily.
