利用从头设计蛋白实现膜蛋白的溶解与结构解析

Ljubica Mihaljević†, David E. Kim†, Pooja D. Bandawane†, et al. INTRODUCTION: Membrane proteins play central roles in signaling, infection, and drug responses, yet they remain among the most difficult proteins to produce and study because their water- repelling surfaces destabilize them outside of the membrane. Given that these proteins are embedded within lipid membranes, their extraction relies on detergents. This is a laborious, multistep process that requires extensive optimization and often compromises protein stability and complicates downstream analysis. For example, outer membrane proteins of the Gram- negative bacteria Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis, are promising vaccine candidates. However, they are difficult to express in Escherichia coli, and their solubilization without detergents could facilitate monoclonal antibody discovery and vaccine design. …