Research Group Lipid Translocase Dynamics
(Dr. Sarina Veit)
Topic and techniques
We investigate lipid translocases with a special focus on flippases from the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, a major cause of severe infections in immunocompromised individuals. Because lipid transport is closely linked to fungal virulence, our goal is to uncover the molecular mechanisms and regulatory principles that govern fungal flippase function. By combining transporter purification, reconstitution and ensemble assays with single-vesicle assays, we investigate how individual flippases function. We are especially interested in their regulation.
We use heterologous expression with affinity purification to obtain protein. These proteins are reconstituted in preformed large unilamellar vesicles to offer an enclosed membrane environment for further analysis like fluorometric activity assays. Furthermore, we investigate the translocase kinetics at the single vesicle level via TIRF microscopy with a home-written analysis algorithm.
Principal investigator
Dr. Sarina Veit
Students and interns
Pia Beer
Doktorarbeit since 2025
Masterarbeit 2023/2024
Sophia Grafmüller
Bachelor thesis
2025
Leonie Kurek
Schwerpunktpraktikum
2024
Thomas Wilczek
Praktikum
2024
Selected Publications
- S. Veit, G.I. Dearden, K.M. Menon, F. Noor, I. Menon, T. Morizumi, O.P. Ernst, A.K. Menon, and T. Günther Pomorski (2026).
A single-vesicle fluorescence microscopy platform to quantify phospholipid scrambling.
Nature Structural and Molecular Biology 33: 1011–1019
doi: 10.1038/s41594-026-01821-8
Abstract
- S. Veit, S. Laerbusch, R.L. López-Marqués and T. Günther Pomorski (2023).
Functional analysis of the P-type ATPases Apt2-4 from Cryptococcus neoformans by heterologous expression in Saccharaomyces cerevisiae.
Journal of Fungi 9(2): 202
doi: 10.3390/jof9020202
Abstract
- S. Veit, L.C. Paweletz, S.S.-R. Bohr, A.K. Menon, N.S. Hatzakis and T. Günther Pomorski (2022).
Single vesicle fluorescence-bleaching assay for multi-parameter analysis of proteoliposomes by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 14(26): 29659–29667
doi: 10.1021/acsami.2c07454
Abstract