| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944141 | Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes | 2015 | 8 Pages |
•Curcumin induces closure of human VDAC-1.•Curcumin-treated VDAC showed lower single channel conductance.•Amino acid residues in N-terminus and channel wall of VDAC interact with curcumin.•Curcumin-induced apoptosis is possibly associated with VDAC-closure.
Voltage dependent anion channel (VDAC) of mitochondria plays a crucial role in apoptosis. Human VDAC-1, reconstituted in planar lipid bilayer showed reduced conductance when treated with curcumin. Curcumin interacts with residues in the α helical N-terminus of VDAC and in the channel wall, as revealed by molecular docking, followed by mutational analysis. N-terminus mimicking peptide showed conformational changes in circular dichroism, upon curcumin treatment. We propose that the interaction of curcumin with amino acids in N-terminus and in channel wall fixes the α helix in closed conformation. This restricts its movement which is required for the opening of the channel.
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