MEMBRANE SCAFFOLD PROTEINS

摘要

The membrane scaffold proteins (MSP) of the present invention assemble with hydrophobic or partially hydrophobic proteins to form soluble nanoscale particles which preserve native structure and function; they are improved ov er liposomes and detergent micelles, in terms of stability and preservation of biological activity and native conformation. In the presence of phospholipid , MSPs form nanoscopic phospholipid bilayer disks, with the MSP stabilizing th e particle at the perimeter of the bilayer domain. The particle bilayer structure allows manipulation of incorporated proteins in solution or on sol id supports, including for use with such surface sensitive techniques as scanni ng probe microscopy or surface plasmon resonance. The nanoscale particles, whic h are robust in terms of integrity and maintenance of biological activity of incorporated proteins, facilitate pharmaceutical and biological research, structure/function correlations, structure determinations, bioseparations, a nd drug discovery.