Challenges in the Development of Functional Assays of Membrane Proteins
Autor: | Louis Tiefenauer, Sophie Demarche |
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Rok vydání: | 2012 |
Předmět: |
polymer
microfluidics review 02 engineering and technology lcsh:Technology 03 medical and health sciences surface membrane protein General Materials Science lcsh:Microscopy Lipid bilayer Integral membrane protein lcsh:QC120-168.85 030304 developmental biology function 0303 health sciences lcsh:QH201-278.5 biology lipid bilayers lcsh:T Membrane transport protein Chemistry Peripheral membrane protein silicon Biological membrane Membrane transport 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Membrane protein Biochemistry lcsh:TA1-2040 biology.protein Biophysics Function Surface Lipid bilayers Silicon Polymer Microfluidics Review lcsh:Descriptive and experimental mechanics lcsh:Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering lcsh:Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) 0210 nano-technology lcsh:TK1-9971 Membrane biophysics |
Zdroj: | Materials, Vol 5, Iss 11, Pp 2205-2242 (2012) Materials, 5 (11) Materials |
ISSN: | 1996-1944 |
DOI: | 10.3390/ma5112205 |
Popis: | Lipid bilayers are natural barriers of biological cells and cellular compartments. Membrane proteins integrated in biological membranes enable vital cell functions such as signal transduction and the transport of ions or small molecules. In order to determine the activity of a protein of interest at defined conditions, the membrane protein has to be integrated into artificial lipid bilayers immobilized on a surface. For the fabrication of such biosensors expertise is required in material science, surface and analytical chemistry, molecular biology and biotechnology. Specifically, techniques are needed for structuring surfaces in the micro- and nanometer scale, chemical modification and analysis, lipid bilayer formation, protein expression, purification and solubilization, and most importantly, protein integration into engineered lipid bilayers. Electrochemical and optical methods are suitable to detect membrane activity-related signals. The importance of structural knowledge to understand membrane protein function is obvious. Presently only a few structures of membrane proteins are solved at atomic resolution. Functional assays together with known structures of individual membrane proteins will contribute to a better understanding of vital biological processes occurring at biological membranes. Such assays will be utilized in the discovery of drugs, since membrane proteins are major drug targets Materials, 5 (11) ISSN:1996-1944 |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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