AIBN Seminar Series - Prof Boris Martinac

Event Details

Date:

Thursday, 14 March 2019

Time:

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Room:

AIBN Level 1 Seminar Room

UQ Location:

Event category(s):

Full Description:: Principles of mechanosensing at the membrane interface:

Efficient mechanotransduction processes occur in living organisms via mechanosensors or mechanoreceptors linking external mechanical stimuli at the cell surface to intracellular signaling events and downstream effectors. Mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels are among the fastest primary mechanosensors converting mechanical stimuli into intracellular signals on a submillisecond time scale.

Much of our understanding of the biophysical principles that underlie and direct conversion of mechanical force into conformational changes in MS channels comes from studies based on MS channel reconstitution into lipid bilayers. My talk will focus on close interactions between MS channels and the lipid bilayer and discuss the central role that transbilayer pressure profile plays in mechanosensitivity and gating of these fascinating membrane proteins.