Lectures and seminars BioNut Seminar Series - "Unlocking the molecular basis for sugar transport"
A BioNut seminar with Professor David Drew, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University
The BioNut Seminar Series is a seminar series where the different group leaders at the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition will invite and host a seminar on various Thursdays throughout the year.
At the moment these seminars will be on Zoom only.
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MeetingID: 658 6014 5865
Abstract
Across all Kingdoms, glucose is quantitatively the most important fuel source for life on earth. To utilize glucose, the sugar must first be taken up into our cells by the action of glucose (GLUT) transporters, which despite binding with low affinities (Kd > 1mM), retain high specificity. Here, I will present the molecular basis of the GLUT transport cycle and highlight and how an extracellular gate, with residues located far from the sugar binding site, is critical for the formation of the transition state and, thus, transport. I will also outline the importance of the membrane fluidity in achieving GLUT transport, which provides a molecular basis for the correlation between an increase in free fatty acids (FFA) and their link in obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.