Characterization of Protein-Lipid Interactions in Biosystems Processes

Abstract

Lipids correlate with membrane characteristics and functionalities as macromolecular constituentts in all cellular processes. Numerous aspects of lipid modulation of protein activity and structure are not completely understood and, thus a holistic systematic investigation activities will be pertinent. Protein-lipid interactions are the resultant impacts of membrane proteins on lipid physical states or vice versa. Encompassing research needs to be associated with strategies to elucidate whether proteins contain binding sites which are lipid specific, and that the protein-lipid complexes are ostensibly long-lived, on the time order necessary for the turnover of a normal enzyme. Biological membranes have since been determined as essential ingredients in an expansive array of cellular processes, such as photosynthesis, cell defence, signaling transduction, communication and motility. Therefore, they constitute multiple targets in both basic and applied research. Protein-lipid interactions are becoming increasingly relevant to the morphological characterization of membrane proteins as related to their functionalities. Excepting for simplified models, certain protein-lipid interactions specifically constitute remarkable challenges which require optimum experimental paradigm and design.