Abstract

Membrane proteins are proteins present in the cell membranes either spanning the width of the bilayer membrane or interacting with the surface of the membrane. They are involved in essential biological functions for the survival of living organisms. Their functions include transportation of ions and molecules across the cell membrane and initiating the signaling pathways. They are potential target of more than 60% of the modern medical drugs. Mutations or misfolding of membrane proteins are connected to numerous human dysfunctions, diseases and disorders. Structural and dynamic properties of membrane proteins are very essential to understand their function. Despite the biological importance of membrane proteins, limited information exits about these systems. Here, we briefly discuss current situation of membrane protein research including challenges and recent progress on structure biology approaches and their impact on solving pertinent biological questions related to membrane proteins.

Keywords: Membrane proteins; Biophysical techniques; Structural dynamics

Abbreviations: FDA: Food and Drug Administration; GPI: Glycosylphosphatidylinositol; PDB: Protein Data Bank; SMALPs: Styrene Maleic Acid Lipid Particles; SMA: Styrene Maleic Acid; NMR: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance; FRET: Förster Resonance Energy Transfer; Cryo-EM: Cryogenic Electron Microscopy; EPR: Electron Paramagnetic Resonance