George H. Lorimer
University of Maryland, College Park
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Primary Section: 21, Biochemistry Secondary Section: 29, Biophysics and Computational Biology Membership Type:
Member
(elected 1997)
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Research Interests
My current research interests are in the mechanistic aspects (both biological and chemical) of the molecular chaperones. In particular, I am interested in the means by which the chaperonin proteins (the archetypes are the GroEL and GroES proteins of Escherichia coli) facilitate the folding of some other proteins in an ATP-dependent manner. Current projects include the identification of the small subset (5 to 10% of the total) of E. coli proteins which serve as natural substrates for the GroE system, as well as investigations of the role of the symmetrical and asymmetrical complexes of GroEL and GroES in the chaperonin folding cycle. The GroE enhanced amide proton exchange reaction is also under investigation together with Walter Englander and his colleagues. In addition, I maintain an interest in biological carboxylation reaction mechanisms and the role of protein bound carbamates in enzymatic processes.
