Cryo-Electron Microscopy Snapshots of Eukaryotic Membrane Proteins in Native Lipid-Bilayer Nanodiscs

Biomacromolecules. 2022 Dec 12;23(12):5084-5094. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00935. Epub 2022 Nov 18.

Abstract

New technologies for purifying membrane-bound protein complexes in combination with cryo-electron microscopy (EM) have recently allowed the exploration of such complexes under near-native conditions. In particular, polymer-encapsulated nanodiscs enable the study of membrane proteins at high resolution while retaining protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions within a lipid bilayer. However, this powerful technology has not been exploited to address the important question of how endogenous─as opposed to overexpressed─membrane proteins are organized within a lipid environment. In this work, we demonstrate that biochemical enrichment protocols for native membrane-protein complexes from Chaetomium thermophilum in combination with polymer-based lipid-bilayer nanodiscs provide a substantial improvement in the quality of recovered endogenous membrane-protein complexes. Mass spectrometry results revealed ∼1123 proteins, while multiple 2D class averages and two 3D reconstructions from cryo-EM data furnished prominent structural signatures. This integrated methodological approach to enriching endogenous membrane-protein complexes provides unprecedented opportunities for a deeper understanding of eukaryotic membrane proteomes.

MeSH terms

  • Cryoelectron Microscopy / methods
  • Eukaryota / metabolism
  • Lipid Bilayers* / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Nanostructures* / chemistry
  • Polymers / chemistry

Substances

  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Polymers