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Research and Teaching Interests
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| X-ray crystal structure of the PSI trimer |
The research in our group focuses on the structural biochemistry and biophysics of membrane proteins. Membrane proteins perform most of the important processes in all living cells. For example, respiration, photosynthesis, cell communication, cell import/export, cell growth and recognition are catalyzed and regulated by membrane proteins. These proteins do not act in an isolated way; they rather perform communication within the cell by binding and releasing of cofactors and soluble signal-transducing proteins.
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Dr. Fromme's Group |
The main step for the elucidation of these complex processes in whole living cells is the understanding of the structure, dynamics and function of the membrane proteins that play the key role in these processes. Our research field is of a very interdisciplinary nature and includes biochemical investigations, molecular biology, spectroscopy, crystallization, X-ray structure analysis, as well as theoretical investigations.
Our main field of interest is the structure and function of the large membrane protein complexes involved in the primary processes of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the main process on earth converting light energy provided by the sun into chemical energy. It is the unique energy source for all higher life on earth and produces all the oxygen in the atmosphere. A special target for our studies is the structure and function of the large bio-solar energy converters, Photosystem I, Photosystem II, and the ATP-Synthase, an enzyme that functions as a molecular motor. Another exciting project deals with transport processes across membranes, with a special focus on transport into cell organelles. |
Representative Publications
"Dose, exposure time and resolution in serial X-ray crystallography," Starodub D, Rez P, Hembree G, Howells M, Shapiro D, Chapman HN, Fromme P,, J Synchrotron Radiat 15, 62-73 (2008).
"Flexible fitting of atomic structures into cryo-EM maps using constrained geometric simulations," Jolley CC, Wells SA, Fromme P, Thorpe MF , Biophysical Journal , in press (2007).
"Droplet streams for serial crystallography of proteins," U Weierstall, R B Doak, J C H Spence, D Starodub, D Shapiro, P Kennedy, J Warner,, Experiments in Fluids , in press (2007).
"Comparison of the light-harvesting networks of plant and cyanobacterial photosystem I," M.K. Sener, C. Jolley, A. Ben-Shem, P. Fromme, N. Nelson and K. Schulten, Biophys. J. 89, 1630-1642 (2005).
"Structure of cyanobacterial Photosystem I," I. Grotjohann and P. Fromme, Photosynthesis Research 85, 51-72 (2005).
"Structure of Plant Photosystem I revealed by Theoretical Modeling," C. Jolley, A. Ben-Shem, N. Nelson and P. Fromme, J. Biol. Chem. 280, 33627-33636 (2005).
"Evolution of Photosynthesis and oxygen evolution: Implications from the structural comparison of Photosystem I and II," I. Grotjohann, C. Jolley and P. Fromme, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 6, 4743-4753 (2004).
"Structure and function of photosystem I: interaction with its soluble electron carriers and external antenna systems ," P. Fromme, A. Melkozernov, P. Jordan and N. Krauss, FEBS Lett 555, 40-44 (2003).
"Structure and Function of the Antenna System in Photosystem I ," P. Fromme, E. Schlodder and S. Jansson, Light-Harvesting Antennas in Photosynthesis , 253-279 (2003).
"Robustness and Optimality of Light Harvesting in Cyanobacterial Photosystem I ," M.K. Sener, D. Lu, T. Ritz, S. Park, P. Fromme and K.J.J. Schulten, J Phys. Chem B 106 (32), 7948-7960 (2002).
"Three-dimensional structure of cyanobacterial Photosystem I at 2.5 Å resolution," P. Jordan, P. Fromme, H.T. Witt, O. Klukas, W. Saenger and N. Krauß, Nature 411, 909-917 (2001).
"Crystal Structure of oxygen evolving Photosystem II from Synechococcus elongatus a 3.8 Å Resolution," A. Zouni, H.T. Witt, J. Kern, P. Fromme, N. Krauß, W. Saenger and P. Orth, Nature , 739-743 (2001).
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