U.S-Netherlands Planning Visit: Binding and Recognition of Complex Glycolipids by Mycobacterial Proteins

Through this planning visit, researcher Jessica Seeliger of SUNY at Stony Brook will initiate a cooperative project with partners in the Netherlands at the University of Groningen. Her counterpart, Adriaan Minnaard, and his group have established expertise in total synthesis of mycobacterial lipids and their analogues, which complements Seeliger's studies of enzymatic mechanistic and substrate activity. Together, their intent is to investigate the protein machinery and catalytic mechanisms behind lipid biosynthesis and transport in mycobacteria. Their focus on chemical determinants of molecular recognition should improve our knowledge of how hydrophobic substrates are recognized for transport from the cytosol, where they are made, to the outer membrane where they reside. Results from the planned long-term collaboration are expected to improve our fundamental understanding of lipid biogenesis in mycobacteria. If successful, the researchers expect to gain new information about chemical probes that would be useful not only to the mycobacterial research community, but also to others studying lipids in other bacteria. This catalytic research visit fulfills the program objective of advancing basic biological knowledge by enabling experts in the United States and Europe to share research resources and plan beneficial projects in areas of strong mutual interest and competence. The experience gained through examination of biosynthetic pathways and transport of unusual lipids, particularly in Actinobacteria, may have broader impact by contributing to our ability to identify immunological receptors for bacterial antigens. Furthermore, one participating U.S. graduate student will gain a valuable early career introduction to international collaborative teamwork.