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Encyclopedia of Biophysics pp 1–4Cite as

Membrane Proteins: Structure and Organization

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Synonyms

Integral membrane protein structure

Definition

Membrane proteins are those which are integral to, or associated with, the various lipid membranes within and around cells.

Introduction

Membrane proteins are classified by their method of attachment into four main groups: integral, peripheral, partially penetrating, and lipid-anchored. Additionally, integral proteins can be further divided by the type of fold they possess – either alpha-helical or beta-barrel. These proteins have been challenging to study due to their hydrophobic nature and low natural abundance.

Integral Membrane Proteins

Integral membrane proteins constitute a significant proportion of the total protein of most cells and are characterized by insertion through the plasma membrane, resulting in permanent attachment. As such their removal can require relatively harsh methods including detergent solubilization or the use of nonpolar solvents. The advent of some detergent-free methods has enabled the extraction of...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK

    Alan D. Goddard, John A. Linney & Annaïg J. Rozo

  2. Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Joanne Oates & Anthony Watts

Authors
  1. Alan D. Goddard
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  2. John A. Linney
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  3. Annaïg J. Rozo
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  4. Joanne Oates
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  5. Anthony Watts
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony Watts .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Leicester MRC Centre, Leicester, UK

    Prof. Gordon Roberts

  2. Dept Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Prof. Anthony Watts

Section Editor information

  1. Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Anthony Watts

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© 2020 European Biophysical Societies' Association (EBSA)

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Goddard, A.D., Linney, J.A., Rozo, A.J., Oates, J., Watts, A. (2020). Membrane Proteins: Structure and Organization. In: Roberts, G., Watts, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Biophysics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35943-9_748-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35943-9_748-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35943-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35943-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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