Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
07:10
High-Throughput Expression and Purification of Human Solute Carriers for Structural and Biochemical Studies
Published on: September 29, 2023
Membrane protein structural biology--how far can the bugs take us?
Erik Granseth1, Susanna Seppälä, Mikaela Rapp
1Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Molecular Membrane Biology
|August 22, 2007
Summary
Obtaining sufficient membrane proteins for structural studies remains challenging. This research explores using prokaryotic protein structures to understand human membrane proteins, overcoming production bottlenecks.
Area of Science:
- Structural biology
- Membrane protein research
- Proteomics
Background:
- Membrane proteins are crucial for cellular functions.
- High-resolution structural data is essential but difficult to obtain.
- Current methods face bottlenecks, especially for eukaryotic proteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of prokaryotic homologues for understanding eukaryotic membrane protein structures.
- To address the challenge of insufficient membrane protein quantities for structural studies.
Main Methods:
- Comparative structural analysis of prokaryotic and eukaryotic membrane proteins.
- Bioinformatics approaches to assess homology and structural conservation.
Main Results:
- Prokaryotic homologues can provide valuable insights into eukaryotic membrane protein structures.
- This approach offers a potential solution to overcome production limitations.
Conclusions:
- Utilizing prokaryotic membrane protein structures is a viable strategy to advance the structural understanding of the human membrane proteome.
- This method can help bridge the gap caused by current production challenges.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Protein Diffusion in the Membrane
Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
01:09Multi-pass Transmembrane Proteins and β-barrels
In multi-pass transmembrane proteins, the polypeptide chain crosses the membrane more than once. The transmembrane polypeptide chain either forms an α-helix or β-strand structure. α-Helix containing multi-pass transmembrane proteins are ubiquitous, whereas β-strand containing ones are mainly found in gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts.
α-Helix containing multi-pass transmembrane proteins
Multi-pass transmembrane proteins such as G-protein-linked receptors (GPCRs) and...
α-Helix containing multi-pass transmembrane proteins
Multi-pass transmembrane proteins such as G-protein-linked receptors (GPCRs) and...
01:15Mechanisms of Membrane-bending
The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
01:16Introduction to Membrane Proteins
The cell membrane, or plasma membrane, is an ever-changing landscape. It is described as a fluid mosaic where various macromolecules are embedded in the phospholipid bilayer. Among the macromolecules are proteins. The protein content varies across cell types. For example, mitochondrial inner membranes contain ~76% protein content, while myelin contains ~18% protein content. Individual cells contain many types of membrane proteins—red blood cells contain over 50—and different cell types have...
01:10Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria
Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a virus that...
01:24What are Membranes?
A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries markers that...