# High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) System for Analyzing Bacterial Lipoprotein Biosynthesis and Oxidation

> **NIH NIH R01** · PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE · 2024 · $121,382

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
The long-term goal of the application is to understand why and how bacterial lipoproteins in the medically
important Firmicutes phylum are structurally modified. Lipoproteins are ubiquitous membrane associated
proteins tethered to the bacterial surface through a conserved acylated cysteine residue located at the
N-terminus. However, lipoprotein acylation states can vary in chain number, length, and attachment
position depending on the bacterial source. Acylation states are also dynamically regulated in the same
strain by particular growth environments, including by excess copper which induces expression of select
N-terminal modifying genes. This project aims to utilize ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography (uHPLC) to
characterize reconstituted lipoprotein N-terminal modification systems in vitro. Assays will help
determine enzyme mechanisms, identify acyl chain donors, and to test important active site residues. The
second part of the project will utilize HPLC to isolate and purify various model lipopeptides representing
each of the known N-terminal chemotype classes (free a-amino, N-acyl, N-acetyl, and lyso-form). The
chemotype panel will then be analyzed for copper binding and susceptibility to oxidation. The project will thus
advance our understanding of acyl transfer biochemistry and provide insight on the physiological function of
lipoprotein modifications.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11100179
- **Project number:** 3R01GM127482-07S1
- **Recipient organization:** PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE
- **Principal Investigator:** Timothy C. Meredith
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $121,382
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-05-01 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11100179

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11100179, High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) System for Analyzing Bacterial Lipoprotein Biosynthesis and Oxidation (3R01GM127482-07S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11100179. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*