Travel light: Essential packing for membrane proteins with an active lifestyle

We review the considerable progress during the recent decade in the endeavours of designing, opti-mising, and utilising carrier particle systems for structural and functional studies of membrane proteins in near-native environments. New and improved systems are constantly emerging, novel studies push the perceived limits of a given carrier system, and specific carrier systems consolidate and entrench themselves as the system of choice for particular classes of target membrane protein systems. This re-view covers the most frequently used carrier systems for such studies and emphasises similarities and differences between these systems as well as current trends and future directions for the field. Particular interest is devoted to the biophysical properties and membrane mimicking ability of each system and the manner in which this may impact an embedded membrane protein and an eventual structural or functional study.(c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

We have witnessed significant progress in the design, optimization, and utilization of carrier particle systems for studying membrane proteins in near-native environments over the past decade. New and improved systems continue to emerge, pushing the boundaries of existing carrier systems, while specific carrier systems establish themselves as the preferred choice for certain types of target membrane proteins. This review covers the most commonly used carrier systems, highlighting their similarities and differences, as well as current trends and future directions in the field. Special attention is given to the biophysical properties and membrane mimicking ability of each system, and how they may impact the study of embedded membrane proteins and their structure or function.