Advanced fluorescence methodologies in membrane biophysics and lipid-protein interaction
iBB – Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
The ultimate sensitivity of fluorescence, in the framework of time-resolved techniques, allows obtaining high quality quantitative information on topology, dynamics, and physical properties of biological systems.
Applications to the study of the alterations induced by the presence of the hydroperoxidized POPC lipid (POPC-OOH) in fluid membranes will be initially addressed, namely the interface hydration, viscosity and order, from time-resolved anisotropy and excited –state relaxation of membrane probes.
In addition, a specific type of energy-transfer interaction, homo-FRET (energy migration), where both donor and acceptor are the same molecular species, will be used to reveal the conformational plasticity of the selective filter of a potassium ion channel, and the oligomerization state of a protein upon membrane interaction.
