The purposes of our projects are to explore the mechanistic principles of membrane protein insertion, folding and assembly into lipid membranes and to investigate the factors that determine membrane protein stability. Our interest focuses on protein/protein-interactions relevant for maintaining tertiary and quaternary structure and function of integral membrane protein complexes. More specifically, we investigate the role of membrane-spanning domains, i.e. of transmembrane segments. The study is performed through an exhaustive investigation of glycophorin A as a model dimeric membrane protein, and from the knowledge of this system we try to understand the structure and function of the pulmonary surfactant SP-C protein, an extremely hydrophobic membrane protein.
On the other hand, we are interested in the cell-to-cell transport of plant virus. This transport process is mediated by specialized viral movement proteins, which in same cases are membrane proteins, that drive the viral genome to the cellular membrane in order to be transported into neighbouring uninfected host cells through the plasmodesmal channel. We are currently investigating the targeting and the insertion mechanisms of these viral membrane proteins into the biological membranes.
Infertility or the inability to conceive a child is a medical condition recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that causes severe health problems to affected women as well as serious epidemiological and sociological repercussions to society. The calculations show that it's a pathology affecting 15% of all worldwide couples and its incidence rate keeps increasing; it affects 10% of couples wishing to have their first baby and 10 to 25% of those wanting to have a second one. Articles 25 and 26 of the European Parliament's report on Europe's demographic future (2007/2156 (INI)) highlight the necessity to consider infertility a sensitive and important matter.
The goal of our activity is to promote and start new research lines allowing to make progress in the field of reproductive medicine by improving assisted reproductive treatments, decreasing its adverse effects and establishing new techniques for diagnosis and fertility preservation.
