Professor

Satoshi Takahashi

Assistant Professor

Yuji Itoh

Dynamics of protein folding and function based on single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy

Proteins are natural machines that perform various functions that sustain our lives. To be biologically active, proteins, linear chains of amino acids, need to form compact three dimensional structures in the process called protein folding. The folded structures of proteins are determined by the primary sequence of amino acids. However, it is still extremely difficult to understand the relationships among the amino acid sequence, the folded structure, and the function of proteins. In our laboratory, we develop now single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and observe the rapid process of protein folding directly. In addition, we observe the functional dynamics, a sliding motion along DNA, of a tumor suppressor p53. Furthermore, based on the knowledge of protein folding and function, we are developing a new strategy to design artificial proteins.

Themes

• Dynamics of protein folding based on single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy
• Sliding motion of a tumor suppressor p53 along DNA
• Development of a new strategy of protein design based on single molecule sorting device