New tool for the quantification of detergents complexed with membrane proteins
CALIXAR announces the publication of a new study by P. FALSON’s laboratory (Chaptal V et al., 2017, Scientific report) as part of a long term collaboration.
Most membrane proteins studies require the use of detergents, but because of the lack of a general, accurate and rapid method to quantify them, many uncertainties remain that hamper proper functional and structural data analyses. To solve this problem, the authors propose a method based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) that allows quantification of pure or mixed detergents in complex with membrane proteins. They validated the method with a wide variety of detergents and membrane proteins. They automated the process, thereby allowing routine quantification for a broad spectrum of usage. As a first illustration, they show how to obtain information of the amount of detergent in complex with a membrane protein, essential for liposome or nanodiscs reconstitutions.
Thanks to this new method, the authors also show how to reliably and easily estimate the detergent corona diameter and select the smallest size, critical for favoring protein-protein contacts and triggering/promoting membrane protein crystallization, and to visualize the detergent belt for Cryo-EM studies.
