title: Analyzing oligomerization of individual transmembrane helices and of entire membrane proteins in E. coli: A hitchhiker's guide to GALLEX.
abstract: Genetic systems, which allow monitoring interactions of individual transmembrane α-helices within the cytoplasmic membrane of the bacterium Escherichia coli, are now widely used to probe the structural biology and energetics of helix-helix interactions and the consequences of mutations. In contrast to other systems, the GALLEX system allows studying homo- as well as heterooligomerization of individual transmembrane α-helices, and even enables estimation of the energetics of helix-helix interactions within a biological membrane. Given that many polytopic membrane proteins form oligomers within membranes, the GALLEX system represents a unique and powerful approach to monitor formation and stability of oligomeric complexes of polytopic membrane proteins in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cymer
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins