Student Project Membrane Biochemistry & Biophysics.
The research of MBB is focused on biological membranes. These membranes form
the barriers that separate the inside from the outside of living cells and they are
abundantly present within cells, separating and defining different organelles. They
tightly control all communication between cells or organelles and their environment
and therefore they are essential for many life processes.
In our research we aim to understand the structure and function of biological
membranes on a molecular level by studying the interactions between its main
constituents: lipids and proteins. In addition we investigate how membranes are
involved in the mode of action of drugs, toxins, antibiotics and amyloid forming
proteins.
Within the Breukink group we have student project available. The main goal of this
project is to synthesize fluorescent probes to study interactions between lipids and
proteins, our main focus lies on bacterial cell wall synthesis.
Bacterial cell wall synthesis
The bacterial cell wall synthesis pathway is the most accessible essential pathway of
bacteria and hence a very important target for antibiotic development. The pathway
starts in the cytosol with the synthesis of two UDP-activated precursors UDP-GlcNAc
and UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide (see figure). This is followed by the assembly of the
complete peptidoglycan subunit on a polyisoprenoid carrier, undecaprenyl
phosphate, resulting in a product called Lipid II, the ultimate peptidoglycan precursor.
Lipid II is then transported to the exterior side of the plasma membrane and used by
bi-functional penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) for the synthesis of the cell wall. The
resulting undecaprenyl pyrophosphate is then recycled back to the cytosol, dephosphorylated after which it is ready to be used again. Our research mainly focuses
on the membrane events of this cycle.
For more information you can contact Dhr. Breukink (e.j.breukink@uu.nl) or Lisette
Nijland (l.nijland@uu.nl)