Living cells consist of membrane compartments predominantly composed of phospholipids. Phospholipids are synthesized with the help of integral membrane proteins that require pre-existing membranes for proper function. Because of the difficulty of reconstituting membrane proteins in cell-free systems, there is an interest in finding alternate routes to synthesize membranes in vitro. Here, we propose to develop a high-yielding strategy for de novo formation of phospholipid membranes utilizing soluble proteins such as fatty acid synthases (FASs) and fatty acid adenylating ligases (FAALs). The overall goal of this project aims to develop an enzymatic and chemosynthetic method allowing phospholipids to be synthesized in situ from non-amphiphilic, water soluble precursors. Findings from this study will lead to a better understanding of the specific requirements for bottom-up enzymatic phospholipid synthesis. It will also help shed light on the evolution of membrane synthesis in living systems.

Chemoenzymatic in vitro synthesis of phospholipids

2019 Fall National Meeting

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