Heavy Atom Detergent/Lipid Combined X-ray Crystallography for Elucidating the Structure-Function Relationships of Membrane Proteins

Membrane proteins reside in the lipid bilayer of biomembranes and the structure and function of these proteins are closely related to their interactions with lipid molecules. Structural analyses of interactions between membrane proteins and lipids or detergents that constitute biological or artificial model membranes are important for understanding the functions and physicochemical properties of membrane proteins and biomembranes. Determination of membrane protein structures is much more difficult when compared with that of soluble proteins, but the development of various new technologies has accelerated the elucidation of the structure-function relationship of membrane proteins. This review summarizes the development of heavy atom derivative detergents and lipids that can be used for structural analysis of membrane proteins and their interactions with detergents/lipids, including their application with X-ray free-electron laser crystallography.

Automated summary

Membrane proteins interact closely with lipid molecules in biomembranes, and studying these interactions is crucial for understanding their functions and properties. While determining membrane protein structures is more challenging compared to soluble proteins, the development of new technologies has accelerated the elucidation of their structure-function relationship. This review highlights the development of heavy atom derivative detergents and lipids for structural analysis of membrane proteins, including their application in X-ray free-electron laser crystallography.