Poster abstracts
Poster number 20 submitted by Collin Nisler
The evolutionary biophysics of a force conveying protein complex composed of PCDH15 and CDH23
Collin Nisler (Biophysics)
Abstract:
Hearing is an ubiquitous and conserved process that endows animals with an astonishingly sensitive means to sense the environment. This is achieved through a sensitivity to sound or water pressure waves which are transmitted to the inner ear. In the inner ear, the perturbations from this mechanical stimulus are converted to an action potential that is interpreted by the brain as sound. This process is known as mechanotransduction, and relies on the interaction of two proteins found in the inner ear, protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) and cadherin 23 (CDH23). In mammals, it is known that PCDH15 and CDH23 form a structure known as the tip link, and that mechanotransduction relies on the proper function of these proteins. This interaction exists in every lineage of vertebrates, and though many physiological studies have shown a structural similarity in the organ responsible for hearing between vertebrate taxa such as lizards, birds, and even ray-finned fish, little is known about the structure or mechanical properties of the tip link in most non-mammalian lineages. Here, X-ray crystallography, all-atom and coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations, surface plasmon resonance, and thermal melting assays are used to characterize the evolution of this essential protein complex.
Keywords: Protein Evolution, Protein-Protein Complex, Molecular Dynamics