Inventa et Scientia
格物致知
李志遠實驗室：細胞膜脂質之轉遞
1. ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter:
Cholesterol Trafficking on Cell Membranes
The ABC sterol/lipid transporters control cholesterol trafficking on the cellular membranes, and their deficiency can cause abnormal buildups of cholesterol in the circulation and the peripheral tissues, such as the brain. This is known to lead to cardiovascular or neurodegenerative diseases, such as atherosclerosis or dementia.
To understand how lipid transporters regulate lipid homeostasis and respond to systemic lipid levels, we investigate the function-structure relationship of the ABC lipid transporters using subfamily G (ABCG) members as the model system and their interaction with cellular membranes and partner proteins.
2. Type IV P-type (P4)-ATPase:
Membrane Phospholipid Transport
Active lipid transport is a process by which cells harness ATP energy to translocate lipids within the lipid bilayers, and key to maintain the structural integrity of mosaic lipid bilayers and to provide lipid substrates for various cellular functions.
Type-IV P-Type ATPases (P4-ATPases), a major eukaryotic transport ATPase family, carry out cellular phospholipid transport by flipping substrates from one leaflet to the other leaflet of the membrane bilayers. They are associated with phospholipid asymmetry across membranes, stimulation of programmed cell death (also known as apoptosis), and intracellular vesicle trafficking and formation. We aim to understand the molecular details underlying the function of P4-ATPases and their cellular partners.
