Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Nitrogen Cavitation and Differential Centrifugation Allows for Monitoring the Distribution of Peripheral Membrane Proteins in Cultured Cells
Published on: August 18, 2017
Quality control of integral membrane proteins
Mark P Krebs1, Syed M Noorwez, Ritu Malhotra
1Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. mpkrebs@ufl.edu
Abstract:
Integral membrane proteins (IMPs) are essential components of the plasma and organellar membranes of the eukaryotic cell. Non-native IMPs, which can arise as a result of mutations, errors during biosynthesis or cellular stress, can disrupt these membranes and potentially lead to cell death. To protect against this outcome, the cell possesses quality control (QC) systems that detect and dispose of non-native IMPs from cellular membranes. Recent studies suggest that recognition of non-native IMPs by the QC machinery is correlated with the thermodynamic stability of these proteins. Consistent with this, small molecules known as chemical and pharmacological chaperones have been identified that stabilize non-native IMPs and enable them to evade QC. These findings have far-reaching implications for treating human diseases caused by defective IMPs.
Related Concept Videos
Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins
Membrane Proteins
Membrane Proteins
Introduction to Membrane Proteins
Insertion of Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins in the RER
Integral transmembrane proteins possess transmembrane and extra membrane domains. The transmembrane domains are primarily made of 20-25 hydrophobic amino acids arranged in a helical secondary confirmation. These...
Detergent Purification of Membrane Proteins

