User:Megan O'Mara

I'm interested in the way transmembrane proteins function as molecular motors. Transmembrane proteins such as ion channels and active transporters allow the transport or diffusion of compounds across the cell membrane in a highly controlled manner. Conformational changes in ion channels allow the passive diffusion of ions down their concentration gradient in a highly controlled manner. In active transporters such ATP transporters, translocation of substrate across the membrane is powered by large scale conformational changes in the protein arising from the hydrolysis of it's fuel, ATP, to ADP. While these examples give highly specific transport of a given substrate, transmembrane proteins such as viral fusion proteins are anchored in the viral membrane, then attach to the host membrane and undergo conformational changes which bring about fusion of the viral and host cell membranes, allowing infiltration and replication of a virus.