Speaker: Professor Liao Maofu, Southern University of Science and Technology

Time: 13:00-14:00 p.m., November 24, 2023, GMT+8

Venue: Deng Youcai Academic Hall, School of Life Sciences, PKU 

Abstract: 

Present in all kingdoms of life, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters harness the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to translocate a multitude of chemically diverse substrates across cellular membranes.Despite decades of studies and many available structures, the molecular mechanisms of most ABC transporters are still poorly defined. The ongoing revolution of cryo-EM has enabledn ovel approaches for obtaining deep insights into these highly dynamic membrane protein machines. Through our cryo-EM studies of several ABC transporters that perform different functions, we have uncovered how distinct tasks of substrate translocation are accomplished by the unique actions of these transporters. Importantly, our own research experience in the past decade is an excellent demonstration of how single-particle cryo-EM methodology and the mechanistic study of ABC transporters stimulate each other's development, thus emphasizing the extremely versatile nature and yet-to-be-realized potential of cryo-EM in biological research.


Source: School of Life Sciences, PKU