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.
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August 2016
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A schematic representation of TGF-β and BMP9 signalling in endothelial cells via their serine/threonine type I and type II receptors, co-receptor endoglin and downstream Smad intracellular proteins. Taken from the article ‘Targeting tumour vasculature by inhibiting activing receptor-like kinase (ALK)1 function’ by de Vinuesa et al. in this issue (volume 44, issue 4, pages 1142-1149). - PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
Review Article|
August 15 2016
Membrane proteins: is the future disc shaped?
Sarah C. Lee;
*School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, U.K.
2To whom correspondence should be addressed (email S.Lee.5@bham.ac.uk).
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Naomi L. Pollock
Naomi L. Pollock
1
*School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, U.K.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
January 15 2016
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2016 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2016
Biochem Soc Trans (2016) 44 (4): 1011–1018.
Article history
Received:
January 15 2016
Citation
Sarah C. Lee, Naomi L. Pollock; Membrane proteins: is the future disc shaped?. Biochem Soc Trans 15 August 2016; 44 (4): 1011–1018. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20160015
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