title: Folding and stability of integral membrane proteins in amphipols.
abstract: Amphipols (APols) are a family of amphipathic polymers designed to keep transmembrane proteins (TMPs) soluble in aqueous solutions in the absence of detergent. APols have proven remarkably efficient at (i) stabilizing TMPs, as compared to detergent solutions, and (ii) folding them from a denatured state to a native, functional one. The underlying physical-chemical mechanisms are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Biophysik, Institut für Biologie, FB 10, Universität Kassel and Center for Interdisciplinary Nanostructure Science and Technology (CINSaT), Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany. Electronic address: jhk@uni-kassel.de.
authors.forename: Jörg H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kleinschmidt
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Moléculaire des Protéines Membranaires, UMR 7099, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Paris-7, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (FRC 550), 13, rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, F-75005 Paris, France. Electronic address: jean-luc.popot@ibpc.fr.
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Popot
mesh_terms: D003902:Detergents / Q000737:chemistry*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D017510:Protein Folding; D055550:Protein Stability; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D008565:Membrane Proteins
keywords: A8-35; Amphipols; Bacteriorhodopsin; Folding; G protein-coupled receptors; Kinetics; Membrane protein; Outer membrane proteins; Thermodynamic stability