Simulations of lipid nano-containers mimicking primitive cells
Prof. Siewert Jan Marrink
Head of the MD group, Department of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Groningen
Mechano-sensitive channels are ubiquitous membrane proteins that are activated
in response to increasing tension in the lipid membrane. They facilitate
a sudden, non-selective release of solutes and water that safe-guards the
integrity of the cell in hypo- or hyper-osmotic shock conditions. These
channels and their engineered mutants form a promising class of controllable
gates in bio-mimetic nanotechnology applications. In this talk I will report
on simulations of the rapid release of content from a pressurised liposome
through a particular mechano-sensitive protein channel, MscL, embedded
in the liposomal membrane. I will show that such a nano-valve is able to
relax the liposome, stressed to the point of bursting, in a matter of microseconds.
We map the full activation/de-activation cycle of MscL in near-atomic detail,
and are able to quantify the rapid decrease in liposomal stress as a result
of channel activation. Our study provides a computational tool which opens
the way to contribute to the rational design of functional nano-containers
and to study the origin of cellular life.
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