Detection of Membrane Protein Interactions Using Split Ubiquitin-Based Membrane Yeast Two-Hybrid Technology

. Analysis of membrane protein interactions is difficult due to the hydrophobic nature of such proteins, which makes them ill-suited to use in the traditional two-hybrid assay. This is a substantial problem since approximately 40% of all proteins in a typical eukaryotic cell are thought to be anchored in the lipid bilayer[1]. Because of their accessibility, membrane proteins, in particular those spanning the plasma membrane, are also of considerable diagnostic and therapeutic importance. Thus, understanding the physiology of membrane proteins and the way these proteins communicate in the cell is of high biological importance.