Book chapter
English

EPR Techniques to Probe Insertion and Conformation of Spin-Labeled Proteins in Lipid Bilayers

Published inKleinschmidt, Jörg H. (Ed.), Lipid-protein interactions: methods and protocols, p. 329-355
PublisherTotowa : Humana Press
Collection
  • Methods in Molecular Biology; 974
Publication date2013-12-17
Abstract

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of spin-labeled membrane proteins is a valuable biophysical technique to study structural details and conformational transitions of proteins close to their physiological environment, e.g., in liposomes, membrane bilayers, and nanodiscs. Unlike in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, having only one or few specific side chains labeled at a time with paramagnetic probes makes the size of the object under investigation irrelevant in terms of technique sensitivity. As a drawback, extensive site-directed mutagenesis is required in order to analyze the properties of the protein under investigation. EPR can provide detailed information on side chain dynamics of large membrane proteins or protein complexes embedded in membranes with an exquisite sensitivity for flexible regions and on water accessibility profiles across the membrane bilayer. Moreover, distances between the two spin-labeled side chains in membrane proteins can be detected with high precision in the 1.5–6 nm range at cryogenic temperatures. The application of EPR to membrane proteins still presents some challenges in terms of sample preparation, sensitivity, and data interpretation; thus no ready-to-go methodological recipes can be given. However this chapter describes the state of the art in the application of nitroxide-based site-directed spin labeling EPR to membrane proteins, with specific focus on the different types of information which can be obtained with continuous wave and pulsed techniques and on the challenges in sample preparation and data analysis for functional and structural membrane protein studies.

Keywords
  • Site-directed spin labeling
  • Nitroxide
  • EPR
  • Membrane proteins
  • Bilayer
  • Accessibility
  • High field
  • Mobility
  • Distances
  • Double electron electron resonance (DEER)
Affiliation entities Not a UNIGE publication
Citation (ISO format)
BORDIGNON, Enrica, POLYHACH, Yevhen. EPR Techniques to Probe Insertion and Conformation of Spin-Labeled Proteins in Lipid Bilayers. In: Lipid-protein interactions: methods and protocols. Kleinschmidt, Jörg H. (Ed.). Totowa : Humana Press, 2013. p. 329–355. (Methods in Molecular Biology) doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-275-9_15
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Book chapter (Published version)
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Identifiers
ISBN1-62703-275-4
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