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Updated: Mar 5, 2026

Transmembrane Domain Oligomerization Propensity determined by ToxR Assay
Published on: May 26, 2011
Small Molecule and Peptide Recognition of Protein Transmembrane Domains
Xianfeng Zeng1, Peiyao Wu1, Chengbo Yao1
1Center of Basic Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100082, China.
Abstract:
Membrane proteins play vital roles in cell signaling, molecular transportation, and cell adhesion. The interactions of transmembrane domains are much less well understood than those of their water-soluble counterparts, and they have been deemed "undruggable" despite their important biological functions such as protein anchoring, signal transduction, and ligand recognition. Nevertheless, continual developments in this area have revealed useful probes for investigating and regulating these membrane proteins. This review summarizes and evaluates the strategies available for discovering small molecules and peptides that recognize the protein transmembrane domains of membrane proteins, with a particular focus on rational design and library screening.
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