Îòäåë çàíèìàåòñÿ èññëåäîâàíèåì ìåõàíèçìà òðàíñôîðìàöèè ýíåðãèè â áèîìåìáðàíàõ.

Â.Ï.Ñêóëà÷åâûì ñîâìåñòíî ñ Å.À.Ëèáåðìàíîì äîêàçàí ïðîòîíîôîðíûé ìåõàíèçì äåéñòâèÿ ðàçîáùèòåëåé îêèñëèòåëüíîãî ôîñôîðèëèðîâàíèÿ è ïðåäëîæåí ìåòîä ïðîíèêàþùèõ èîíîâ äëÿ îáíàðóæåíèÿ òðàíñìåìáðàííîé ðàçíîñòè ýëåêòðè÷åñêèõ ïîòåíöèàëîâ (DY), ïîçâîëèâøèé çàðåãèñòðèðîâàòü DY íà ìåìáðàíàõ ìèòîõîíäðèé, õëîðîïëàñòîâ è áàêòåðèé. Ýòè ðàáîòû ïîñëóæèëè âåñîìûì âêëàäîì â äîêàçàòåëüñòâî õåìèîñìîòè÷åñêîé ãèïîòåçû ýíåðãåòè÷åñêîãî ñîïðÿæåíèÿ (Ï.Ìèò÷åë, Íîáåëåâñêàÿ ïðåìèÿ ïî õèìèè çà 1978).

Ïðåäëîæåíà êîíöåïöèÿ "íàòðèåâîãî öèêëà". Ïîêàçàíî, ÷òî Na+-ïîòåíöèàë ìîæåò ãåíåðèðîâàòüñÿ â êîíå÷íîì ó÷àñòêå äûõàòåëüíîé öåïè íåêîòîðûõ áàêòåðèé è èñïîëüçîâàòüñÿ ñèñòåìîé îêèñëèòåëüíîãî ôîñôîðèëèðîâàíèÿ èëè ôëàãåëëÿðíûì ìîòîðîì. Îáíàðóæåíî, ÷òî âðàùåíèå ôëàãåëë áàêòåðèé îáóñëîâëåíî òðàíñìåìáðàííûì ïåðåíîñîì H+ èëè Na+.

 ëàáîðàòîðèè ñâîáîäíîãî îêèñëåíèÿ (çàâ. ä.á.í. Å.Í.Ìîõîâà) èññëåäóåòñÿ ðàçîáùàþùåå äåéñòâèå æèðíûõ êèñëîò (ÆÊ), êîòîðûå ñëóæàò ìåäèàòîðàìè òåðìîðåãóëÿòîðíîãî ðàçîáùåíèÿ â ìûøöàõ òåïëîêðîâíûõ. Óñòàíîâëåíî, ÷òî ðàçîáùàþùåå äåéñòâèå ÆÊ îïîñðåäîâàííî àíèîííûìè ïåðåíîñ÷èêàìè âíóòðåííåé ìåìáðàíû ìèòîõîíäðèé: ADP/ATP è àñïàðòàò/ãëóòàìàòíûì àíòèïîðòåðàìè.

 ëàáîðàòîðèè ñòðóêòóðû è ôóíêöèé ìèòîõîíäðèé (çàâ. ä.á.í. Ä.Á.Çîðîâ) ïîêàçàíî, ÷òî ìèòîõîíäðèàëüíûå ïðîòÿæåííûå ñòðóêòóðû ìîãóò ðàññìàòðèâàòüñÿ êàê êàáåëè, ïåðåäàþùèå ýëåêòðè÷åñêóþ ýíåðãèþ â ïðåäåëàõ êëåòêè. Âî âíóòðåííåé ìåìáðàíå ìèòîõîíäðèé îáíàðóæåíà êàíàëüíàÿ àêòèâíîñòü, âîçíèêàþùàÿ ïðè èçìåíåíèè ôóíêöèîíàëüíîãî ñîñòîÿíèÿ ìèòîõîíäðèàëüíîãî áåíçîäèàçåïèíîâîãî ðåöåïòîðà.

Ä.á.í. À.À.Êîíñòàíòèíîâûì è ñîòð. (ëàáîðàòîðèÿ ýëåêòðîííîãî òðàíñïîðòà) ñîâìåñòíî ñ Ý.Ê.Ðóóãå (ôèçôàê ÌÃÓ) îòêðûòû ñâîáîäíîðàäèêàëüíûå ôîðìû óáèõèíîíà â ìèòîõîíäðèàëüíîé ìåìáðàíå. Óñòàíîâëåíà èõ êëþ÷åâàÿ ðîëü â ìåõàíèçìå ýëåêòðîííîãî òðàíñïîðòà è â ãåíåðàöèè êèñëîðîäíûõ ðàäèêàëîâ äûõàòåëüíîé öåïüþ. Ïðîñëåæåíû ýëåêòðîãåííûå ñòàäèè ïåðåíîñà ïðîòîíîâ è ýëåêòðîíîâ öèòîõðîìíûìè êîìïëåêñàìè äûõàòåëüíîé öåïè.

 ëàáîðàòîðèè ñòðóêòóðû è ôóíêöèè ìåìáðàí (çàâ. ä.õ.í., ïðîô. Ë.Ñ.ßãóæèíñêèé) âïåðâûå îáíàðóæåíû áàðüåðíûå ñâîéñòâà ìåæôàçíîé ãðàíèöû ïðè ïåðåíîñå ïðîòîíà ÷åðåç èñêóññòâåííûå ôîñôîëèïèäíûå ìåìáðàíû. Çàðåãèñòðèðîâàíî îáðàçîâàíèå ëîêàëüíûõ ãðàäèåíòîâ pH â ïðèìåìáðàííûõ ñëîÿõ ìèòîõîíäðèé ïðè ðàáîòå äûõàòåëüíûõ ïðîòîííûõ ïîìï.

Íîâûå èíòåðåñû îòäåëà ñâÿçàíû ñ èçó÷åíèåì ðîëè ìèòîõîíäðèé â àïîïòîçå. Ïðåäëîæåíà êîíöåïöèÿ î ñóùåñòâîâàíèè ýøåëîíèðîâàííîé çàùèòíîé ñèñòåìû, ïðåäîòâðàùàþùåé îáðàçîâàíèå ñóïåðîêñèäà.

1. Skulachev V.P. Role of uncoupled and non-coupled oxidations in maintenance of safely low levels of oxygen and its one-electron reductants. Quart.Rev.Biophys. (1996) 29, 169-202.

2. Glagolev A.N., Skulachev V.P. The proton pump is a molecular engine of motile bacteria. Nature .(1978) 272, 280-282

3. Baryshev V.A., Glagolev A.N., Skulachev V.P. Sensing of ?m? in phototaxis of Halobacterium halobium. Nature (1981) 292, 338-340

4. Vygodina T.V., Pecoraro C., Mitchell D., Gennis R., Konstantinov A.A. The mechanism of inhibition of electron transfer by aminoacid replacement K362M in proton channel of Rh. sphaeroides cytochrome c oxidase. Biochemistry (1998) 37, .3053-3061.

5. Kinnally K.W., Zorov D.B., Antonenko Y.N., Snyde S.H., McEnery M.W., Tedeschi H Mi-tochondrial benzodiazepine receptor linked to inner membrane ion channels by nanomolar actions of ligands. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1993) 90, 1374-1378.