Do more complex organisms have a greater proportion of membrane proteins in their genomes?
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 16, 2026

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies
Published on: September 1, 2023
1Cambridge Centre for Molecular Recognition, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
One may speculate that higher organisms require a proportionately greater abundance of membrane proteins within their genomes in order to furnish the requirements of differentiated cell types, compartmentalization, and intercellular signalling. With the recent availability of several complete prokaryotic genome sequences and sufficient progress in many eukaryotic genome sequencing projects, we seek to test this hypothesis. Using optimized hydropathy analysis of proteins in several, diverse proteomes, we show that organisms of the three domains of life-Eukarya, Eubacteria, and Archaea-have similar proportions of alpha-helical membrane proteins within their genomes and that these are matched by the complexity of the aqueous components.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Multi-pass Transmembrane Proteins and β-barrels
α-Helix containing multi-pass transmembrane proteins
Multi-pass transmembrane proteins such as G-protein-linked receptors (GPCRs) and...
Membrane Domains
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the anterior...
Introduction to Membrane Proteins
Comparing Mitochondrial, Chloroplast, and Prokaryotic Genomes
Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins
Membrane Proteins

