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Title: Inherently Tunable Electrostatic Assembly of Membrane Proteins

Journal Article · · Nano Lett.8:333,2008
OSTI ID:953090

Membrane proteins are a class of nanoscopic entities that control the matter, energy, and information transport across cellular boundaries. Electrostatic interactions are shown to direct the rapid co-assembly of proteorhodopsin (PR) and lipids into long-range crystalline arrays. The roles of inherent charge variations on lipid membranes and PR variants with different compositions are examined by tuning recombinant PR variants with different extramembrane domain sizes and charged amino acid substitutions, lipid membrane compositions, and lipid-to-PR stoichiometric ratios. Rational control of this predominantly electrostatic assembly for PR crystallization is demonstrated, and the same principles should be applicable to the assembly and crystallization of other integral membrane proteins.

Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
953090
Report Number(s):
SLAC-REPRINT-2009-194; TRN: US200914%%304
Journal Information:
Nano Lett.8:333,2008, Vol. 8, Issue 1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English