Validation of interaction between proteins and monoacylglycerol

Abstract

Monoacylglycerols are lipids which are known to interact with different receptors highlighting their role in signalling pathways. These lipid-protein interactions provide an interesting insight into the possible role of monoacylglycerols in treating various diseases, as they have shown promising results in regulating insulin secretion and energy homeostasis. The undiscovered interaction of monoacylglycerols with different proteins provides a similar possibility and scope for further research. To find novel protein interactors of monoacylglycerols, proteomic experiments using bifunctional lipid probes were performed, which resulted in a set of putative protein interactors of these lipids. We initially conducted a literature survey of the proteins and performed preliminary experiments to validate these lipid-protein interactions. This involved preparing constructs of the proteins and expressing them in mammalian cells. The results of my study can serve as a starting point for developing biochemical assays to corroborate the interactions between proteins and monoacylglycerol. Further experiments can be designed using these protein constructs, which could highlight the exciting roles of monoacylglycerols in different biological pathways.