Your browser version may not work well with NCBI's Web applications. More information here...
1: Biotechniques. 2007 Oct;43(4):427-30, 432, 434 passim.
Related Articles, Links
Click here to read Click here to read
Erratum in:
  • Biotechniques. 2007 Dec;43(6):4 p following 745.

Phase separation in the isolation and purification of membrane proteins.

Arnold T, Linke D.

Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany.

Phase separation is a simple, efficient, and cheap method to purify and concentrate detergent-solubilized membrane proteins. In spite of this, phase separation is not widely used or even known among membrane protein scientists, and ready-to-use protocols are available for only relatively few detergent/membrane protein combinations. Here, we summarize the physical and chemical parameters that influence the phase separation behavior of detergents commonly used for membrane protein studies. Examples for the successful purification of membrane proteins using this method with different classes of detergents are provided. As the choice of the detergent is critical in many downstream applications (e.g., membrane protein crystallization or functional assays), we discuss how new phase separation protocols can be developed for a given detergent buffer system.

Publication Types:
PMID: 18019333 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]