SMBp Group Meeting:Chris Edelmaier

Wednesday Jul 20, 2022, 12:00 PM → 1:00 PM America/New_York

3rd Floor Classroom/3-Flatiron Institute (162 5th Avenue)

Speaker: Chris Edelmaier 

Topic: Simulations of amphipathic helix-membrane interactions


Abstract: Cells use their cytoskeletal elements to perform many functions, including sensing and adapting to their environment. One such class of proteins are septins, which can sense and communicate details about micron-scale curvature based on their binding to cellular membranes. Amphipathic helix (AH) domains are thought to be responsible for the ability of these nanoscale proteins to probe micron-scale curvatures by sensing local curvature effects. Previous studies have investigated similar domains in other contexts (other AH-domains and BAR-domains), however, much of the understanding relies on kinetic models that effectively capture the phenomenology at the micron-scale of this interaction but cannot give a description of the underlying mechanical interactions that lead to these kinetic descriptions. One barrier to understanding these mechanical effects from simulations is the difference in time scale(s) between atomistic, coarse-grained, and continuum simulations when compared to in vivo or in vitro septin binding rates. Here, we present preliminary research into how AH-domains might interact with lipid bilayer membranes at the atomistic level to understand how these domains associate with membranes, change local membrane properties, and result in the correct binding-rate and curvature specificity seen in cells.