去污剂的性质及其在膜蛋白结构生物学中的应用

膜蛋白在诸多生物过程,如呼吸作用、光合作用、信号识别和分子转运等方面发挥着重要作用,近年来,去污剂的快速发展,在一定程度上极大地推动了膜蛋白研究的进展。去污剂广泛应用于膜蛋白的提取、增溶、纯化、理化性质及结构研究,然而如何选择合适的去污剂往往是一项复杂的任务。本文从以下两个方面入手系统地描述了去污剂的重要理化性质及其在膜蛋白结构功能研究中的应用,（1）去污剂结构及其对去污剂性质和水溶性的影响,去污剂形成胶束的条件及影响去污剂胶束形成的其他因素。希望这些关于去污剂的基本性质和参数的介绍,可以为相关科研工作者选用去污剂提供一个理论依据。（2）去污剂抽提膜蛋白的流程和注意细节,去污剂对膜蛋白纯化时分子量测定的影响,膜蛋白研究中去污剂的置换与去除,膜蛋白结构、功能研究案例归纳。希望这些应用细节、课题研究,可以为相关科研工作者研究膜蛋白结构功能时提供一个经验借鉴。     

融合标签技术在膜蛋白结构研究中的应用

膜蛋白高级结构的研究包括不同的层次,即膜蛋白拓扑学结构的研究、利用核磁共振技术和蛋白质晶体衍射技术对三维结构的研究,以及膜蛋白复合体的研究。在研究过程中,如果能够基于膜蛋白的拓扑学结构预测,选择合适的蛋白质或多肽融合标签,利用基因融合技术在基因水平上对膜蛋白进行改造,可以产生含有融合标签的重组膜蛋自,不仅具有原有膜蛋白的功能活性,还具有融合标签所特有的生理生化特性,将会极大地促进膜蛋白结构和功能的研究。我们就目前膜蛋白结构研究中所涉及的融合标签技术及其应用策略和所取得的进展做一简述。     

膜蛋白晶体的生长及其进展

生物膜中与脂双层结合的蛋白质称为膜蛋白.由于它们具有很大的疏水表面以及既亲水又疏水的两性特点致使其纯化与结晶都十分困难.在膜蛋白晶体生长系统中引入小分子去污剂与小的两性分子获得突破性进展.迄今为止,结晶出来的膜蛋白为数不多.其中只有光合细菌绿色红假单胞菌及球型红假单胞菌的反应中心得到3分辨率的晶体结构与解析.一系列膜蛋白形成二维晶体,可用电子显微镜与像重构技术获得三维结构信息.     

膜蛋白结构解析中的重要进展

概述了膜蛋白结构研究的重要性。介绍了应用X射线晶体学技术解析大肠杆菌乳糖通透酶LacY三维结构取得的重要进展——发现磷脂含量在膜蛋白结晶中所起的关键性作用。为未来膜蛋白结构的解析提供了新的思路。     

膜蛋白结构研究方法新进展

膜蛋白是一类结构独特的蛋白质,执行很多基本的和重要的细胞生物学功能。了解膜蛋白在生物膜上的基本构象,对研究膜蛋白的精细拓扑结构、功能具有重要意义。但是膜蛋白的疏水特性使其需要与生物膜共同形成稳定的自然构象,至今在蛋白质组学的研究中对膜蛋白知之甚少。了解分子结构是了解生物大分子功能的一个重要途径。因此,本文对近来膜分子结构研究领域的进展作一简要概述。晶体学方法、单颗粒方法和原子力显微镜为膜蛋白的研究提供了大量的细节数据。固相核磁共振技术提供了跨膜α螺旋结构的方向约束数据和精确的分子间距离约束数据。直接位点标记的旋转电子顺磁共振可以得到更长的距离约束数据,但是目前的标记策略仍然具有局限性。位点特异的红外二色性分析可使得在脂双层中定向分析跨膜α螺旋束成为可能。     

G蛋白偶联受体结构生物学进展

G蛋白偶联受体(GPCR)是具有7次跨膜螺旋的细胞整合膜蛋白,它们广泛地参与感光、气味、神经传递以及细胞增殖、分化、迁移等各类生理活动的调控.是现代药物研发的重要靶点.然而,GPCR结构生物学研究却受到高质量蛋白制备、稳定性以及结晶方法等方面的限制.近年来,随着新型膜蛋白表达体系、新型去污剂、膜蛋白纯化及结晶技术的发展.使得G蛋白偶联受体结构解析工作取得了可喜的进展,也为进一步解析更多GPCR精细结构及相关药物研发奠定重要基础.     

表位标签技术在膜蛋白研究中的应用

膜蛋白的研究包括埘膜蛋白在细胞内的运输和定位,膜蛋白的结构和功能,以及膜蛋白和其他蛋白质间的相互作用等方面的研究.在研究过程中,如果能够基于膜蛋白的拓扑学结构预测,选择合适的表位标签,利用基因融合技术在基因水平上对膜蛋白进行改造,可以产生含有表位标签的重组膜蛋白,不仅具有原有膜蛋白的功能活性,还能够被抗体特异性识别,并且结合相关的免疫荧光检测技术,将会极大地促进膜蛋白的结构和功能研究.本文就目前膜蛋白研究中所涉及的表位标签技术及其应用策略和所取得的进展作一简述.     

生物膜膜蛋白三维结构研究的现状与展望

1　生物膜膜蛋白三维结构研究的重要性与迫切性　　细胞是生命的基本结构与功能单位 .细胞的外周膜与细胞内的膜系统称为生物膜 .细胞的能量转换、信息识别与传递、物质运送和分配等基本生命现象都与生物膜密切相关 .生物膜是由蛋白质、脂类以及碳水化合物等组成的超分子体系 ,膜蛋白是膜功能的主要体现者 .生物膜膜蛋白可分为外周膜蛋白和内在膜蛋白 ,后者约占整个膜蛋白的 70 %～ 80 % ,它们部分或全部嵌入膜内 ,有的则是跨膜分布 ,如受体、离子通道、离子泵、膜孔、运载体(ｔｒａｎｓｐｏｒｔｅｒ)以及各种膜酶等等 .象水溶性蛋白质一样 …     

去垢剂在膜蛋白研究中的应用

去垢剂是同时具有亲水极性基团和疏水非极性基团的双极性分子,能够使脂膜解体释放膜蛋白,并在溶液中为去膜状态下的膜蛋白提供疏水环境,维持和保护膜蛋白的疏水跨膜结构,在膜蛋白的结构和功能研究中有重要的意义。去垢剂的双极性和理化特性,如临界胶束浓度能够极大影响去垢剂和膜蛋白间的相互作用。在膜蛋白研究中,需要充分利用去垢剂的结构和特性:一方面,需要利用去垢剂代替脂质分子支持和稳定去膜状态下膜蛋白的结构和功能;另一方面,需要控制去垢剂和膜蛋白的相互作用,以满足膜蛋白结构研究如蛋白质结晶试验的要求。简要介绍了去垢剂在膜蛋白研究中的最新应用进展,涉及去垢剂在膜蛋白离体表达、分离和纯化、以及结构研究中的应用。     

线粒体呼吸链膜蛋白复合物Ⅱ的三维结构解析

线粒体作为细胞器,是细胞内的动力工厂,是细胞发生有氧呼吸作用的主要场所,它的功能是通过氧化磷酸化进行能量转换,为细胞活动提供能量。其中,氧化过程由线粒体内膜上的4个呼吸链膜蛋白复合物(简称复合物Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ和Ⅳ)来完成。近20年来,解析这4个膜蛋白复合物的结构一直是生物学研究的热点。     

Detergent sensitivity and splitting of isolated liver gap junctions

Summary Isolated rat liver gap junctions were split by two methods. In the first method, isolated gap junctions were stabilized by cross-linking their cytoplasmic surfaces with glutaraldehyde under conditions that prevented the entry of glutaraldehyde into the gap region. The stabilized junctions were then split in the junctional gap with SDS. In the second procedure, unfixed gap junctions were split by incubation in ureacontaining solutions. Junctional splitting was monitored by electron microscopy of thin sectioned and freeze fractured membrane pellets. Sidedness of the split junctional membranes was defined by labeling their cytoplasmic surfaces with glutaraldehyde-activated ferritin before splitting with urea. Gap junctional splitting did not result in any loss of protein components as determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis. The glutaraldehyde cross-linking procedure was also used to determine the effects of various detergents on the protein-protein interactions in the gap region. Of the detergents tested, only SDS caused junctional splitting.     

Stability of Rhodopsin in Detergent Solutions

The thermal stability of lipid-free rhodopsin in solutions of a homologous series of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide detergents and one nonionic detergent, dodecyl-β-maltoside, has been studied as a function of detergent concentration. Rhodopsin thermal stability increases with increasing chain length within the homologous series of ionic detergents, and for chain lengths greater than 10 carbon atoms increases with increasing detergent concentration up to a “critical” concentration that depends on the chain length. Stability also increases with increasing detergent concentration for rhodopsin in solutions of the nonionic detergent. These results may be rationalized in terms of the dependence of micelle packing density on the detergent chain length, head group, and concentration.     

A Function of 40 kDa Outer Membrane Protein in Serratia marcescens

The function of one of the outer membrane proteins of Serratia marcescens was investigated. S. marcescens with an abundant 40 kDa outer membrane protein was induced to form spheroplast at a high rate in an isotonic medium in the presence of calcium, although the spheroplasts were generally fragile in the isotonic environment. The degree of spheroplast induction was correlated to the amount of the 40 kDa protein present in the membrane. In the 40 kDa proteinless mutant strains, the spheroplast induction rate was remarkably decreased. Autoradiography of the outer membrane revealed the presence of a calcium-binding protein as a radioactive band whose position coincided with the 40 kDa protein. These results suggest that the 40 kDa protein has an important role in maintaining the structural integrity of the cell wall against osmotic shock.     

细胞质膜蛋白与肿瘤的相关性研究进展

肿瘤相关研究一直是科研领域的重点与难点。肿瘤的发生、发展和转移与细胞质膜蛋白关系密切,质膜蛋白的过量表达、缺失或修饰,使细胞的信号转导、物质运输、黏附作用、免疫原性等发生改变,从而影响了肿瘤细胞的上述过程。简要综述了相关领域的研究进展。     

Structural Insights into Transporter-Mediated Drug Resistance in Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases present a major threat to public health globally. Pathogens can acquire resistance to anti-infectious agents via several means including transporter-mediated efflux. Typically, multidrug transporters feature spacious, dynamic, and chemically malleable binding sites to aid in the recognition and transport of chemically diverse substrates across cell membranes. Here, we discuss recent structural investigations of multidrug transporters involved in resistance to infectious diseases that belong to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily, the major facilitator superfamily (MFS), the drug/metabolite transporter (DMT) superfamily, the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family, the small multidrug resistance (SMR) family, and the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) superfamily. These structural insights provide invaluable information for understanding and combatting multidrug resistance.     

Protein oligomerization in the bacterial outer membrane (Review)

The formation of homo-oligomeric assemblies is a well-established characteristic of many soluble proteins and enzymes. Oligomerization has been shown to increase protein stability, allow allosteric cooperativity, shape reaction compartments and provide multivalent interaction sites in soluble proteins. In comparison, our understanding of the prevalence and reasons behind protein oligomerization in membrane proteins is relatively sparse. Recent progress in structural biology of bacterial outer membrane proteins has suggested that oligomerization may be as common and versatile as in soluble proteins. Here we review the current understanding of oligomerization in the bacterial outer membrane from a structural and functional point of view.     

Lysosomal Membrane Proteins and Their Central Role in Physiology

The lysosomal membrane was thought for a long time to primarily act as a physical barrier separating the luminal acidic milieu from the cytoplasmic environment. Meanwhile, it has been realized that unique lysosomal membranes play essential roles in a number of cellular events ranging from phagocytosis, autophagy, cell death, virus infection to membrane repair. This review provides an overview about the most interesting emerging functions of lysosomal membrane proteins and how they contribute to health and disease. Their importance is exemplified by their role in acidification, transport of metabolites and ions across the membrane, intracellular transport of hydrolases and the regulation of membrane fusion events. Studies in patient cells, non‐mammalian model organisms and knockout mice contributed to our understanding of how the different lysosomal membrane proteins affect cellular homeostasis, developmental processes as well as tissue functions. Because these proteins are central for the biogenesis of this compartment they are also considered as attractive targets to modulate the lysosomal machinery in cases where impaired lysosomal degradation leads to cellular pathologies. We are only beginning to understand the complex composition and function of these proteins which are tightly linked to processes occurring throughout the endocytic and biosynthetic pathways.