Collaborative Research Center 1507

Membrane-Associated Protein Assemblies, Machineries and Supercomplexes

Protein assemblies and molecular machineries in cellular membranes are central to essential life processes. They establish homeostasis in compartmentalized cells, transduce energy, translocate nutrients and metabolites, control the communication within and between cells, and mediate interactions with pathogens. The CRC aims for an in-depth, quantitative understanding of the structure, dynamics, and function of key membrane-associated assemblies, machineries, and supercomplexes as a basis for a multiscale decoding of the associated cellular processes. Despite their pivotal role, protein assemblies and machineries associated with cellular membranes are intrinsically difficult to study and remain poorly understood. Our CRC aims to discover the organizational principles and operational mechanisms of protein assemblies and machineries at and across compartmentalization boundaries.

GOVERNING BODIES OF THE CRC 1507

Head of CRC 1507:
Prof. Dr. Robert Tampé

Steering Board:

Prof. Dr. Amparo Acker-Palmer, Prof. Dr. Inga Hänelt,
Prof. Dr. Clemens Glaubitz, Prof. Dr. Mike Heilemann,
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Hummer

Scientific Coordination: Dr. Katrin Rettig

Management (Office of the CRC 1507): Inga Nold, Andrea Pott

Head of Integrated Research Training Group:
 Prof. Dr. Inga Hänelt

Coordination of Integrated Research Training Group:
Dr. Dorith Wunnicke

Steering Board of Integrated Research Training Group:
Prof. Dr. Nina Morgner, Dr. Bonnie Murphy, Dr. Roberto Covino

Project leaders of Cryo-EM Infrastructure (Z02):
Prof. Dr. Robert Tampé, Dr. Martin Beck (advisory)

Scientific Coordination of Z02: Dr. Lukas Sušac

Application Specialist, Z02: Tatjana Schusser

Highlights Cluster I

CELLULAR DEFENSE AND COMMUNICATION ACROSS COMPARTMENTALIZATION BOUNDARIES

Overall questions and coherent topics

  • Bacterial outer membrane biogenesis by SurA and ß-barrel assembly machinery
  • LPS/lipid binding, and insertion by MsbA, LptB2FGC, and MlaAC/CltA translocation machineries
  • Binding of lipid and antibiotics – mode of inhibition
  • In vitro and in situ approaches

Long-term prospects

  • Dynamics of substrate binding and folding
  • Dynamics of lipid translocation
  • Microbial defense & antibiotic resistance

Glaubitz
Kaur et al. (2018) JACS, Kaur et al. (2016) Nat Commun
Joseph
Joseph et al. (2019) Nat Protoc, Barth et al. (2018) JACS 
Pos
Omik-Cha et al. (2021) Nat Commun, Tam et al. (2021) Nat Commun

Hänelt
Silberberg et al. (2021) Nat Commun, Tascon et al. (2020) Nat Commun
Wachtveitl
Weissbecker et al. (2021) Angew Chem, Jakdetchai et al. (2021) Sci Adv
Gottschalk
Vierock et al. (2021) Nat Commun, Steuer Costa et al. (2019) Nat Commun

Overall questions and coherent topics

  • Electrical coupling in bacterial and eukaryotic networks
  • Biofilm formation, electrical coupling (bacteria) Electrical compartmentalization (C. elegans)
  • Optocontrol and voltage sensors
  • Electrophysiology and optogenetics
  • In vitro, in situ, and in vivo approaches
  • Physiological function

Long-term prospects

  • Molecular principles of cellular networks and electrical signaling
  • Compartmentalization of excitable ensembles
  • Expanding optogenetic toolbox

Highlights Cluster II

Overall questions and coherent topics

  • Supramolecular organization and confinement
  • Nano/micro-scale reaction containers
  • Multivalent interactions, stoichiometries
  • Multiscale analysis in vitro and in cellulo
  • Single-molecule localization and tracking
  • Artificial intelligence-guided simulations

Long-term prospects

  • Quantitative multiscale description of membrane protein networking
  • Human disease and development

Acker-Palmer
Harde et al. (2019) eLife, Segarra et al. (2018) Science
Heilemann
Baldering et al. (2021) iScience, Karathanasis et al. (2017) Sci Signal
Covino
Väth et al. (2021) J Cell Biol, Covino et al. (2018) Mol Cell
Schwalbe
Herbert et al. (2013) Cancer Cell, Bono et al. (2013) Cancer Cell
Hellmich
McCray et al. (2021) Nat Commun, Viet et al. (2019) Structure

Highlights Cluster III

Overall questions and coherent topics

  • Assembly and disassembly
  • Conformational dynamics
  • Regulation and modulation
  • In vitro and in situ approaches

Long-term prospects

  • Assembly pathways and biogenesis of membrane complexes
  • Regulation by lipids, physiological function and diseases

Morgner
Henrich et al. (2017) eLife, Zhou et al. (2011) Science
Zickermann
Parey et al. (2021) Sci Adv, Zickermann et al. (2015) Science
Vonck
Parey et al. (2019) Sci Adv, Parey et al. (2018) eLife
Murphy
Watanabe et al. (2021) Science, Murphy et al. (2019) Science

Overall questions and coherent topics

  • Assembly and disassembly
  • Conformational dynamics
  • Regulation and modulation
  • In vitro and in situ approaches
  • Physiological function and diseases

Long-term prospects

  • Biogenesis pathways and cellular quality control
  • Supramolecular organization and subcellular architecture

McDowell
McDowell et al. (2021) NSMB, McDowell et al. (2020) Mol Cell
Hummer
Turonová et al. (2020) Science, Vögele et al. (2019) PNAS
Lemke
Reinkemeier & Lemke (2021) Cell, Paci et al. (2020) eLife
Tampé
Hofmann et al. (2019) Nature, Blees et al. (2017) Nature
Beck
Zila et al. (2021) Cell, Allegreti et al. (2018) Nature