Spontaneous transmembrane insertion of membrane proteins into lipid vesicles facilitated by short-chain lecithins.
Functional reconstitution of the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin into lipid vesicles is achieved by mixing aqueous suspensions of long-chain lecithins and purple membrane with the short-chain lecithin diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine (20 mol % of total lipid). The membrane protein is transmembranously inserted in the lipid bilayer of the vesicle and highly active as a light-energized proton pump. This rapid, easy, and gentle procedure might allow functional reconstitution of other membrane systems and isolated membrane proteins as well.
D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins; D002338:Carotenoids; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008027:Light; D008081:Liposomes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008954:Models, Biological; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D008081:Liposomes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D002338:Carotenoids; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins