Biomaterial Database

Membrane proteins take center stage in Frankfurt. 2009

Enrico Schleiff, and Robert Tampé

Center for Membrane Proteomics, the Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt and the Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany. schleiff@bio.uni-frankfurt.de

Biological membranes are dynamic frontiers whose molecules must delicately balance the needs for compartmentalization and communication, and the gap between the vital significance of transport and signaling through membranes and our poor understanding of the precise functionality of these processes is daunting. However, a recent conference highlighted promising progress in the field, particularly made possible by the increasing structural knowledge about membrane proteins.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008928	Mitochondria	Semiautonomous, self-reproducing organelles that occur in the cytoplasm of all cells of most, but not all, eukaryotes. Each mitochondrion is surrounded by a double limiting membrane. The inner membrane is highly invaginated, and its projections are called cristae. Mitochondria are the sites of the reactions of oxidative phosphorylation, which result in the formation of ATP. They contain distinctive RIBOSOMES, transfer RNAs (RNA, TRANSFER); AMINO ACYL T RNA SYNTHETASES; and elongation and termination factors. Mitochondria depend upon genes within the nucleus of the cells in which they reside for many essential messenger RNAs (RNA, MESSENGER). Mitochondria are believed to have arisen from aerobic bacteria that established a symbiotic relationship with primitive protoeukaryotes. (King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Mitochondrial Contraction,Mitochondrion,Contraction, Mitochondrial,Contractions, Mitochondrial,Mitochondrial Contractions
D008958	Models, Molecular	Models used experimentally or theoretically to study molecular shape, electronic properties, or interactions; includes analogous molecules, computer-generated graphics, and mechanical structures.	Molecular Models,Model, Molecular,Molecular Model
D011487	Protein Conformation	The characteristic 3-dimensional shape of a protein, including the secondary, supersecondary (motifs), tertiary (domains) and quaternary structure of the peptide chain. PROTEIN STRUCTURE, QUATERNARY describes the conformation assumed by multimeric proteins (aggregates of more than one polypeptide chain).	Conformation, Protein,Conformations, Protein,Protein Conformations
D005858	Germany	A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.
D018360	Crystallography, X-Ray	The study of crystal structure using X-RAY DIFFRACTION techniques. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	X-Ray Crystallography,Crystallography, X Ray,Crystallography, Xray,X Ray Crystallography,Xray Crystallography,Crystallographies, X Ray,X Ray Crystallographies
D021381	Protein Transport	The process of moving proteins from one cellular compartment (including extracellular) to another by various sorting and transport mechanisms such as gated transport, protein translocation, and vesicular transport.	Cellular Protein Targeting,Gated Protein Transport,Protein Targeting, Cellular,Protein Translocation,Transmembrane Protein Transport,Vesicular Protein Transport,Protein Localization Processes, Cellular,Protein Sorting,Protein Trafficking,Protein Transport, Gated,Protein Transport, Transmembrane,Protein Transport, Vesicular,Traffickings, Protein
D026901	Membrane Transport Proteins	Membrane proteins whose primary function is to facilitate the transport of molecules across a biological membrane. Included in this broad category are proteins involved in active transport (BIOLOGICAL TRANSPORT, ACTIVE), facilitated transport and ION CHANNELS.	Biological Pump,Membrane Transport Protein,Membrane Transporter,Membrane Transporters,Metabolic Pump,Permease,Biological Pumps,Metabolic Pumps,Permeases,Pump, Biologic,Pump, Biological,Pump, Metabolic,Pumps, Biological,Pumps, Metabolic,Biologic Pump,Protein, Membrane Transport,Transport Protein, Membrane,Transport Proteins, Membrane,Transporter, Membrane,Transporters, Membrane