Nanodisc-solubilized membrane protein library reflects the membrane proteome

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2013 May;405(12):4009-16. doi: 10.1007/s00216-013-6790-8. Epub 2013 Feb 12.

Abstract

The isolation and identification of unknown membrane proteins offers the prospect of discovering new pharmaceutical targets and identifying key biochemical receptors. However, interactions between membrane protein targets and soluble ligands are difficult to study in vitro due to the insolubility of membrane proteins in non-detergent systems. Nanodiscs, nanoscale discoidal lipid bilayers encircled by a membrane scaffold protein belt, have proven to be an effective platform to solubilize membrane proteins and have been used to study a wide variety of purified membrane proteins. This report details the incorporation of an unbiased population of membrane proteins from Escherichia coli membranes into Nanodiscs. This solubilized membrane protein library (SMPL) forms a soluble in vitro model of the membrane proteome. Since Nanodiscs contain isolated proteins or small complexes, the SMPL is an ideal platform for interactomics studies and pull-down assays of membrane proteins. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the protein population before and after formation of the Nanodisc library indicates that a large percentage of the proteins are incorporated into the library. Proteomic identification of several prominent bands demonstrates the successful incorporation of outer and inner membrane proteins into the Nanodisc library.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Detergents / chemistry
  • Escherichia coli / chemistry*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / chemistry*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Proteome / chemistry
  • Proteomics
  • Solubility

Substances

  • Detergents
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Proteome