Giacomo CORUCCI

A neutron reflectometry approach to investigate factors regulating the substrate specificities of phospholipases

This project shall attempt to open new insights into the complexities underlying how glycerophospholipids (GPL) and the mitochondria-localized phospholipase, iPLA2-γ interact in a complex relationship. The enzyme, iPLA2-γ makes an impactful study since it is thought to play a key role in various cellular processes that include membrane remodelling and GPL homeostasis. In this study, we propose to use neutron reflectometry and complementary surface techniques to study the interaction of planar lipid bilayers formed by lipids of varying chain lengths and degree of unsaturation with ‘iPLA2-γ’ thereby allowing us to shed light on the molecular dimensions of the catalytic active site of the enzyme in addition to other key factors that could regulate its substrate specificity. Thus unraveling these phenomena shall assist in studies (Molecular Dynamic simulations/molecular docking) attempting to design novel drugs/inhibitors targeting the enzyme.