Our lab is interested in the functional interactions of membrane proteins with their environment and with cytosolic adaptor proteins. The principal project examines the mechanisms by which the LDL receptor binds, internalizes and delivers lipoproteins in cells. Studies under this project include mapping the lipoprotein binding surfaces on the LDL receptor, identifying and characterizing the cytosolic components that mediate receptor-lipoprotein internalization, and characterizing the mechanisms by which the receptor delivers lipoproteins to endosomes. A secondary project examines the membrane skeleton, which is a cytoskeletal network that associates with membrane proteins and modulates membrane protein function. This second project employs structural biology to characterize the protein linkages between the membrane skeleton and membrane proteins.