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Amphiphilic biopolymers (amphibiopols) as new surfactants for membrane protein solubilization
Author(s) -
DuvalTerrié Caroline,
Cosette Pascal,
Molle Gérard,
Muller Guy,
Dé Emmanuelle
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
protein science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.353
H-Index - 175
eISSN - 1469-896X
pISSN - 0961-8368
DOI - 10.1110/ps.0238203
Subject(s) - amphiphile , solubilization , chemistry , membrane , biopolymer , chemical engineering , biophysics , organic chemistry , biochemistry , polymer , copolymer , biology , engineering
The aim of this study was to develop new surfactants for membrane protein solubilization, from a natural, biodegradable polymer: the polysaccharide pullulan. A set of amphiphilic pullulans (HMCMPs), differing in hydrophobic modification ratio, charge ratio, and the nature of the hydrophobic chains introduced, were synthesized and tested in solubilization experiments with outer membranes of Pseudomonas fluorescens . The membrane proteins were precipitated, and then resolubilized with various HMCMPs. The decyl alkyl chain (C 10 ) was the hydrophobic graft that gave the highest level of solubilization. Decyl alkyl chain‐bearing HMCMPs were also able to extract integral membrane proteins from their lipid environment. The best results were obtained with an amphiphilic pullulan bearing 18% decyl groups (18C 10 ). Circular dichroism spectroscopy and membrane reconstitution experiments were used to test the structural and functional integrity of 18C 10 ‐solubilized proteins (OmpF from Escherichia coli and bacteriorhodopsin from Halobacterium halobium ). Whatever their structure type (α or β), 18C 10 did not alter either the structure or the function of the proteins analyzed. Thus, HMCMPs appear to constitute a promising new class of polymeric surfactants for membrane protein studies.