A Fluorescence-based Approach Utilizing Self-labeling Enzyme Tags to Determine Protein Orientation in Large Unilamellar Vesicles

Abstract

Reconstitution of membrane proteins into large unilamellar vesicles is an essential approach for their functional analysis under chemically defined conditions. The orientation of the protein in the liposomal membrane after reconstitution depends on many parameters, and its assessment is important prior to functional measurements. Common approaches for determining the orientation of a membrane-inserted protein are based on limited proteolytic digest, impermeable labeling reagents for specific amino acids, or membrane-impermeable quenchers for fluorescent proteins. Here, we describe a simple site-specific fluorescent assay based on self-labeling enzyme tags to determine the orientation of membrane proteins after reconstitution, exemplified on a reconstituted SNAP-tag plant H ⁺ -ATPase. This versatile method should benefit the optimization of reconstitution conditions and the analysis of many types of membrane proteins. Graphical abstract.

Keywords: Fluorescence; Membrane protein; Proteoliposomes; Reconstitution; SNAP-tag; Sidedness.