Selection of Biophysical Methods for Characterisation of Membrane Proteins

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 20; no. 10; p. 2605
• Main Authors: Kwan, Tristan O C, Reis, Rosana, Siligardi, Giuliano, Hussain, Rohanah, Cheruvara, Harish, Moraes, Isabel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 27.05.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Automation; biophysics; Brownian motion; Cell adhesion & migration; Chromatography; circular dichroism; Crystallography; Diffusion coefficient; Diffusion rate; Drug development; Drugs; dynamic light scattering; Einstein equations; G protein-coupled receptors; Ion channels; Laboratories; LCP-FRAP; Ligands; Light; Lipids; Membrane proteins; Membranes; Methods; MIR; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Protein structure; Proteins; Quality assessment; Researchers; Review; SEC-MALS; Spectrum analysis; Structure-function relationships; Temperature; Translation; Viscosity; dynamic light scattering; membrane proteins; SEC-MALS; LCP-FRAP; MIR; circular dichroism; biophysics
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102605

Over the years, there have been many developments and advances in the field of integral membrane protein research. As important pharmaceutical targets, it is paramount to understand the mechanisms of action that govern their structure-function relationships. However, the study of integral membrane proteins is still incredibly challenging, mostly due to their low expression and instability once extracted from the native biological membrane. Nevertheless, milligrams of pure, stable, and functional protein are always required for biochemical and structural studies. Many modern biophysical tools are available today that provide critical information regarding to the characterisation and behaviour of integral membrane proteins in solution. These biophysical approaches play an important role in both basic research and in early-stage drug discovery processes. In this review, it is not our objective to present a comprehensive list of all existing biophysical methods, but a selection of the most useful and easily applied to basic integral membrane protein research.