About this Research Topic
Membrane proteins such as channels, transporters, receptors play an essential role in physiological processes. Their abnormal states can result in a group of pathological processes. Many membrane proteins such as GPCR, ion channels, are important pharmacological targets for a variety of disorders and malignant diseases. As the membrane environment is populated with various dynamic proteins and complexes, it is important to explore the relationship between structure, dynamics and behavior. Furthermore, interactors such as protein/peptide/small molecules and post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, S-acylation and oxidative modifications can induce a range of effects in the regulation of protein behavior. The resulting conformational transitions, functional dynamics, and environmental responses are of considerable biological importance in understanding the nontrivial factors involved in transitions in physiological and pathological processes.
The regulation of membrane proteins’ structure, dynamics, and behavior is an important interdisciplinary topic between biochemistry, molecular biology, medical research, and pathology. Although advanced experimental techniques such as cryogenic single particle electron microscopy (cryo EM) have emerged as the leading method for elucidating structures of biological macromolecules at near atomic resolution, essential questions of how membrane proteins dynamically switch between functional, resting and abnormal states under regulation of their interacting protein/peptide/small molecule partners or PTMs remain challenging and unknown.
This Research Topic aims to cover the advanced studies, linking between structure, dynamics and behavior of membrane proteins and various physiological and pathological processes at molecular level using advanced experimental techniques and computational modeling. We welcome submissions of original research articles, reviews, and methods, including (but not limited to) research on the following sub-themes:
•Experimental methods and computational modeling to study membrane proteins, membrane-bound proteins, and downstream signaling pathways at the molecular level
•Interactors of membrane protein (protein/peptide/lipid/small molecules) regulating its conformational changes, transition and response behaviors
•Post-translational modifications on the conformational changes and behaviors of membrane proteins.
•Synergistic function of membrane protein complex
•Diffusion and assembly of membrane proteins
• Membrane protein-mediated bidirectional signal transduction
Disclaimer: We welcome submissions of different types of related manuscripts, but descriptive studies lacking significant biological advances would be rejected without peer review.
The regulation of membrane proteins’ structure, dynamics, and behavior is an important interdisciplinary topic between biochemistry, molecular biology, medical research, and pathology. Although advanced experimental techniques such as cryogenic single particle electron microscopy (cryo EM) have emerged as the leading method for elucidating structures of biological macromolecules at near atomic resolution, essential questions of how membrane proteins dynamically switch between functional, resting and abnormal states under regulation of their interacting protein/peptide/small molecule partners or PTMs remain challenging and unknown.
This Research Topic aims to cover the advanced studies, linking between structure, dynamics and behavior of membrane proteins and various physiological and pathological processes at molecular level using advanced experimental techniques and computational modeling. We welcome submissions of original research articles, reviews, and methods, including (but not limited to) research on the following sub-themes:
•Experimental methods and computational modeling to study membrane proteins, membrane-bound proteins, and downstream signaling pathways at the molecular level
•Interactors of membrane protein (protein/peptide/lipid/small molecules) regulating its conformational changes, transition and response behaviors
•Post-translational modifications on the conformational changes and behaviors of membrane proteins.
•Synergistic function of membrane protein complex
•Diffusion and assembly of membrane proteins
• Membrane protein-mediated bidirectional signal transduction
Disclaimer: We welcome submissions of different types of related manuscripts, but descriptive studies lacking significant biological advances would be rejected without peer review.
Keywords: Membrane proteins, Post-translational modifications, Functional motion, Drug design and discovery, Signaling pathway
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
