How fats in cell membranes influence membrane proteins
Unravelling Membrane Protein-Lipid Interactions using Nanodiscs and Mass Spectrometry
Researchers are building new lab tools to find which membrane fats change proteins that are common drug targets, with the goal of helping people whose conditions involve those proteins.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11415943 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This lab-based project makes tiny membrane particles called nanodiscs and uses advanced mass spectrometry to see which lipids sit next to specific membrane proteins, including bacterial complexes, viral channels, and human transporters. The team will swap different lipids in and out of the nanodiscs and measure which lipids bind, how long they stay, and how binding changes protein shape and function. By focusing on transient and mixed lipid interactions that other methods miss, the work aims to map the local lipid environment that supports protein activity. Results could guide drug design that takes membrane lipids into account.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Although the project is lab-based and does not enroll people, patients with conditions tied to membrane protein dysfunction—such as certain genetic transporter disorders, some infections, or diseases treated with membrane-targeting drugs—are most likely to benefit from its findings.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to membrane protein function, such as purely mechanical injuries or illnesses not treated via membrane-targeting therapies, are unlikely to see direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help design drugs that better target membrane proteins by accounting for lipid effects, potentially improving treatments for infections and diseases involving those proteins.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies using nanodiscs and mass spectrometry have mapped protein-lipid interactions in specific cases, but the proposed lipid-exchange MS methods aim to answer harder questions and represent a partly novel advance.
Where this research is happening
Austin, United States
- University of Texas at Austin — Austin, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marty, Michael T — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Marty, Michael T
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.