Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects
Date of Award
Spring 4-11-2016
Document Type
Honors Paper
Degree Name
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-BS
Department
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Advisor
Dr. John Tansey
First Committee Member
Dr. John Tansey
Second Committee Member
Dr. David Sheridan
Third Committee Member
Dr. Karen Steigman
Keywords
Perilipin, Structure, Lipid Droplet, Perilipin-5, Lipid, Protein
Subject Categories
Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Abstract
The ability of eukaryotic cells to maintain a reservoir of neutral lipids is critical in order maintain the plasma membrane, assist in the production of hormones, and to act as a source of energy if needed. Neutral lipids are stored within a structure known as a lipid droplet coated by members of the PAT family of lipid droplet proteins embedded within its lipid monolayer. The PAT family is comprised of perilipins 1-5 which have been shown to play a roles in regulating lipid droplet metabolism and the droplet’s interaction with lipases. This work seeks to analyze a member of the PAT family, Perilipin-5, using proteolytic mapping in order to determine its domain topology which may provide clues to its function. We hypothesized that delipidation of cellular extracts using either detergents or lipases would alter the conformation of perilipin 5. This would alter the proteolytic cleavage patterns, indicating independently interacting domains of the protein and cleavage sites that were protected from proteases by being buried in lipid. Cellular lysates of Chinese Hamster Ovary cell lines expressing perilipin 5 were used as a source of protein. Following proteolysis, samples were analyzed by western blotting. Triton-X-100 treated samples had more cleavage sites than controls or Tween 20 treated samples. Collectively, these data show at least two major and four minor cleavage products resulting from proteolysis and suggest that perilipin 5 has at least two distinct domains.
Recommended Citation
Huggins, Pearson N., "Structural Characterization of the Lipid Droplet Protein Perilipin-5" (2016). Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects. 40.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/stu_honor/40