The mechanosensitive channel MscL

The mechanosensitive channel, MscL, is a homopentamer of a total mass of 75 kDa, however in solid state NMR our purpose is to determine the structure of a 15 kDa monomer.

Our short term aim will be the study of the open form of the MscL channel (of unknown structure), its opening mechanisms (very controversial in the literature) and its sensitivity to membrane pressure. The opening of the channel can be induced by the addition of molecules creating an asymetric curvature of the membrane, a very well known subject in our laboratory. It will depend on the added molecules (lyso lipids for example ) as well as on the lipids constituting the host membrane.