Membrane proteins: is the future disc shaped?

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 1011-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah C. Lee ◽  
Naomi L. Pollock
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Maleic Acid ◽  
Membrane Lipids ◽  
Biological Membranes ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Amphiphilic Copolymer ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Lipid Particles ◽  
And Function

The use of styrene maleic acid lipid particles (SMALPs) for the purification of membrane proteins (MPs) is a rapidly developing technology. The amphiphilic copolymer of styrene and maleic acid (SMA) disrupts biological membranes and can extract membrane proteins in nanodiscs of approximately 10 nm diameter. These discs contain SMA, protein and membrane lipids. There is evidence that MPs in SMALPs retain their native structures and functions, in some cases with enhanced thermal stability. In addition, the method is compatible with biological buffers and a wide variety of biophysical and structural analysis techniques. The use of SMALPs to solubilize and stabilize MPs offers a new approach in our attempts to understand, and influence, the structure and function of MPs and biological membranes. In this review, we critically assess progress with this method, address some of the associated technical challenges, and discuss opportunities for exploiting SMA and SMALPs to expand our understanding of MP biology.

Surfactant-free purification of membrane proteins with intact native membrane environment

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 813-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Jamshad ◽  
Yu-Pin Lin ◽  
Timothy J. Knowles ◽  
Rosemary A. Parslow ◽  
Craig Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Maleic Acid ◽  
Biochemical Study ◽  
Soluble Proteins ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Protein Particles ◽  
And Function

In order to study the structure and function of a protein, it is generally required that the protein in question is purified away from all others. For soluble proteins, this process is greatly aided by the lack of any restriction on the free and independent diffusion of individual protein particles in three dimensions. This is not the case for membrane proteins, as the membrane itself forms a continuum that joins the proteins within the membrane with one another. It is therefore essential that the membrane is disrupted in order to allow separation and hence purification of membrane proteins. In the present review, we examine recent advances in the methods employed to separate membrane proteins before purification. These approaches move away from solubilization methods based on the use of small surfactants, which have been shown to suffer from significant practical problems. Instead, the present review focuses on methods that stem from the field of nanotechnology and use a range of reagents that fragment the membrane into nanometre-scale particles containing the protein complete with the local membrane environment. In particular, we examine a method employing the amphipathic polymer poly(styrene-co-maleic acid), which is able to reversibly encapsulate the membrane protein in a 10 nm disc-like structure ideally suited to purification and further biochemical study.

How Do Lipids Affect the Structure and Function of Integral Membrane Proteins

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 866
Author(s):  
Jie HENG ◽  
Yan WU ◽  
Xianping WANG ◽  
Kai ZHANG
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Integral Membrane Proteins ◽  
And Function

Nanoscale lipid membrane mimetics in spin-labeling and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of protein structure and function

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elka R. Georgieva
Keyword(s):  
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance ◽  
Protein Structure ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Spin Labeling ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Protein Structure And Function ◽  
Paramagnetic Resonance ◽  
And Function ◽  
Electron Paramagnetic

AbstractCellular membranes and associated proteins play critical physiological roles in organisms from all life kingdoms. In many cases, malfunction of biological membranes triggered by changes in the lipid bilayer properties or membrane protein functional abnormalities lead to severe diseases. To understand in detail the processes that govern the life of cells and to control diseases, one of the major tasks in biological sciences is to learn how the membrane proteins function. To do so, a variety of biochemical and biophysical approaches have been used in molecular studies of membrane protein structure and function on the nanoscale. This review focuses on electron paramagnetic resonance with site-directed nitroxide spin-labeling (SDSL EPR), which is a rapidly expanding and powerful technique reporting on the local protein/spin-label dynamics and on large functionally important structural rearrangements. On the other hand, adequate to nanoscale study membrane mimetics have been developed and used in conjunction with SDSL EPR. Primarily, these mimetics include various liposomes, bicelles, and nanodiscs. This review provides a basic description of the EPR methods, continuous-wave and pulse, applied to spin-labeled proteins, and highlights several representative applications of EPR to liposome-, bicelle-, or nanodisc-reconstituted membrane proteins.

Assessment of the impact of nanoparticles on the activity of biomimetic membrane

2021 ◽  
Vol XXXVII (1) ◽  
pp. 89-100
Author(s):  
Dorota Kondej
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Biological Membranes ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Lipid Monolayer ◽  
Biomimetic Membranes ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Biomimetic Membrane ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents basic information on a structure and function of biological membranes. Types of biomimetic membranes modelling properties of biological membranes were introduced. The method of testing surface properties of a lipid monolayer, which is the basic type of biomimetic membranes, was described. The presented method makes it possible to evaluate the effect of nanoparticles on the surface activity of biomimetic membranes based on the determination of the surface index MA. This article discusses the problems of occupational safety and health, which are covered by health sciences and environmental engineering.

New Approach for Researching Forest Ecosystem

2012 ◽  
Vol 472-475 ◽  
pp. 3384-3389
Author(s):  
Zai Qiang Huo ◽  
Xue Qun Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Edge Of Chaos ◽  
And Function ◽  
Research Frontiers

It is valuable to be researched in the application of science of complexity to the forest ecosystem. Forest ecosystem is an adaptive complex system which is suggested to be at the edge of chaos or at the criticality. The inner interaction of a forest ecosystem is the main driving force for the self-organization, complexity and order in the forest ecosystem. Forest ecosystem complexity is one of the research frontiers of ecological and evolutionary problems presently. The application of science of complexity to the forest ecosystem complexity studies, its concept, background, methodology and theory are briefly introduced. The forest ecosystem complexity is defined as the structure and function diversity, self-organization and the order of an ecosystem. Its main methods include the cellular automaton, genetic algorithm, game theory, complex network, etc. This paper has discussed mechanism and development of forest ecosystem complexity, by applying the principle and methods of science of complexity, which is a new approach for understanding ecological and evolutionary problems.

scholarly journals Bioinformatic approaches for the structure and function of membrane proteins

BMB Reports ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. 697-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jun Nam ◽  
Jou-Hyun Jeon ◽  
Sang-Uk Kim
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Bioinformatic Approaches ◽  
And Function

scholarly journals A new approach to glycan targeting: enzyme inhibition by oligosaccharide metalloshielding

2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (31) ◽  
pp. 4056-4058 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Mangrum ◽  
Brigitte J. Engelmann ◽  
Erica J. Peterson ◽  
John J. Ryan ◽  
Susan J. Berners-Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Inhibition ◽  
Systematic Study ◽  
Coordination Compounds ◽  
Bioinorganic Chemistry ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
New Approach ◽  
The Third ◽  
Major Class ◽  
And Function

Metalloglycomics – the effects of defined coordination compounds on oligosaccharides and their structure and function opens new areas for bioinorganic chemistry and expands its systematic study to the third major class of biomolecules after DNA/RNA and proteins.

Structure and function of qiuinone binding membrane proteins

2003 ◽  
pp. 151-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Momi Iwata ◽  
Jeff Abramson ◽  
Bernadette Byrne ◽  
S.O Iwata
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
And Function

Biophysical methods toolbox to study ABC exporter structure and function

2017 ◽  
Vol 398 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-235
Author(s):  
Thomas Marcellino ◽  
Vasundara Srinivasan
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Abc Transporter ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Dynamic Membrane ◽  
Biophysical Characterization ◽  
Intermediate States ◽  
And Function

Abstract ABC exporters are highly dynamic membrane proteins that span a huge spectrum of different conformations. A detailed integrated approach of cellular, biochemical and biophysical characterization of these ‘open’, ‘closed’ and other intermediate states is central to understanding their function. Almost 40 years after the discovery of the first ABC transporter, thanks to the enormous development in methodologies, a picture is slowly emerging to visualize how these fascinating molecules transport their substrates. This mini review summarizes some of the biophysical tools that have made a major impact in understanding the function of the ABC exporters.

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