The precise knowledge of the structure of biological macromolecules forms the basis of understanding their function and their mechanism of action. It also lays the foundation for rational protein and drug design. The only method to obtain this knowledge is still crystallography. At present, the structures of about 400 proteins are known at or nearly at atomic proteins. However, only two of them are membrane proteins or complexes of the membrane proteins. The reasons for the difference is not the crystals of membrane proteins resists forming special problems when being analysed. The reason is that the membrane proteins resist into forming into well-ordered crystals. The intention of this book is to help to produce well-ordered crystals proteins and to provide guidelines, it is aimed at both biochemists and protein crystallographer‘s.

This volume of Current Topics in Membranes focuses on Membrane Protein Crystallization, beginning with a review of past successes and general trends, then further discussing challenges of mebranes protein crystallization, cell free production of membrane proteins and novel lipids for membrane protein crystallization. This publication also includes tools to enchance membrane protein crystallization, technique advancements, and crystallization strategies used for photosystem I and its complexes, establishing Membrane Protein Crystallization as a needed, practical reference for researchers.

This book reviews current techniques used in membrane protein structural biology, with a strong focus on practical issues. The study of membrane protein structures not only provides a basic understanding of life at the molecular level but also helps in the rational and targeted design of new drugs with reduced side effects. Today, about 60% of the commercially available drugs target membrane proteins and it is estimated that nearly 30% of proteins encoded in the human genome are membrane proteins. In recent years much effort has been put towards innovative developments to overcome the numerous obstacles associated with the structure determination of membrane proteins. This book reviews a variety of recent techniques that are essential to any modern researcher in the field of membrane protein structural biology. The topics that are discussed are not commonly found in textbooks. The scope of this book includes: Expression screening using fluorescent proteins The use of detergents in membrane protein research The use of NMR Synchrotron developments in membrane protein structural biology Visualisation and X-ray data collection of microcrystals X-ray diffraction data analysis from multiple crystals Serial millisecond crystallography Serial femtosecond crystallography Membrane protein structures in drug discovery The information provided in this book should be of interest to anyone working in the area of structural biology. Students will find carefully prepared overviews of basic ideas and advanced protein scientists will find the level of detail required to apply the material directly to their day to day work. Chapters 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of this book are published open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com.

With the most comprehensive and up-to-date overview of structure-based drug discovery covering both experimental and computational approaches, Structural Biology in Drug Discovery: Methods, Techniques, and Practices describes principles, methods, applications, and emerging paradigms of structural biology as a tool for more efficient drug development. Coverage includes successful examples, academic and industry insights, novel concepts, and advances in a rapidly evolving field. The combined chapters, by authors writing from the frontlines of structural biology and drug discovery, give readers a valuable reference and resource that: Presents the benefits, limitations, and potentiality of major techniques in the field such as X-ray crystallography, NMR, neutron crystallography, cryo-EM, mass spectrometry and other biophysical techniques, and computational structural biology Includes detailed chapters on druggability, allostery, complementary use of thermodynamic and kinetic information, and powerful approaches such as structural chemogenomics and fragment-based drug design Emphasizes the need for the in-depth biophysical characterization of protein targets as well as of therapeutic proteins, and for a thorough quality assessment of experimental structures Illustrates advances in the field of established therapeutic targets like kinases, serine proteinases, GPCRs, and epigenetic proteins, and of more challenging ones like protein-protein interactions and intrinsically disordered proteins

This second edition of Membrane Protein Purification and Crystallization, A Practical Guide is written for bench scientists working in the fields of biochemistry, biology, and proteomic research. This guide presents isolation and crystallization techniques in a concise form, emphasizing the critical aspects unique to membrane proteins. It explains the principles of the methods and provides protocols of general use, permitting researchers and students new to this area to adapt these techniques to their particular needs. This edition is not only an update but is comprised mainly of new contributions. It is the first monograph compiling the essential approaches for membrane protein crystallization, and emphasizes recent progress in production and purification of recombinant membrane proteins. - Provides general guidelines and strategies for isolation and crystallization of membrane proteins - Gives detailed protocols that have wide application, and low specialized equipment needs - Emphasizes recent progress in production and purification of recombinant membrane proteins, especially of histidine-tagged and other affinity-epitope-tagged proteins - Summarizes recent developments of Blue-Native PAGE, a high resolution separation technique, which is independent of the use of recombinant techniques, and is especially suited for proteomic analyses of membrane protein complexes - Gives detailed protocols for membrane protein crystallization, and describes the production and use of antibody fragments for high resolution crystallization - Presents a comprehensive guide to 2D-crystallization of membrane proteins

From July 31 to August 13 a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Photosynthesis was held at the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School on the Island of Spetsai. Greece. The Institute focused on techniques and recent advances in photosynthesis research and brought together teachers and students with a wide range of interest and experience. It was a very stimulating occasion which allowed cross-fertilization to occur between biophysicists. biochemists, molecular biologists and physiologists. Lectures and discussions ran~ed from the description of the molecular structure of the photosynthetIc bacterial reaction centre and of tobacco Rubisco through to the regulation of carbon metabolism and the application of genetic engeering. This book is comprised of the contents of the major lectures and a selection of relevant posters displayed at the Institute. Taken together the book is an excellent representation of the most up to date thoughts and activities in photosynthesis research across a wide, but interlocking. spectrum of topics. The papers presented here are a written record of the high quality of both the lecturers and students alike and emphasises the value of the NATO ASI series as a reference source. The successful organisation of the Institute and the production of this book would not have been possible without the support of our colleagues. We therefore wish to thank Pam Cook, Lyn Barber. Niki Gounaris, Alison Telfer. Sotiria Nikolaidon, David Chapman, Steven Mayes and Wei Qiu Wang for all their help during the course of the Institute.

Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of a protein is absolutely required for the complete understanding of its function. The spatial orientation of amino acids in the active site of an enzyme demonstrates how substrate specificity is defined, and assists the medicinal chemist in the design of s- cific, tight-binding inhibitors. The shape and contour of a protein surface hints at its interaction with other proteins and with its environment. Structural ana- sis of multiprotein complexes helps to define the role and interaction of each individual component, and can predict the consequences of protein mutation or conditions that promote dissociation and rearrangement of the complex. Determining the three-dimensional structure of a protein requires milligram quantities of pure material. Such quantities are required to refine crystallization conditions for X-ray analysis, or to overcome the sensitivity limitations of NMR spectroscopy. Historically, structural determination of proteins was limited to those expressed naturally in large amounts, or derived from a tissue or cell source inexpensive enough to warrant the use of large quantities of cells. H- ever, with the advent of the techniques of modern gene expression, many p- teins that are constitutively expressed in minute amounts can become accessible to large-scale purification and structural analysis.

This detailed volume explores protocols for the production of membrane proteins in a panel of heterologous organisms for structural studies. Beginning with techniques using E. coli as a host for the overproduction and purification of membrane proteins, the book continues with chapters covering mammalian membrane protein production in yeast, insect cells, mammalian cells, as well as using virus like particles and acellular systems. Additionally, new detergents and alternatives to detergents allowing membrane protein purification for structural analyses are described. The book closes with a chapter exploring the use of microscale thermophoresis (MST) to evaluate the binding activity of heterologously expressed proteins directly in crude membrane extracts. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and up-to-date, Heterologous Expression of Membrane Proteins: Methods and Protocols, Third Edition serves as an ideal guide for scientists aiming to produce and purify functional recombinant membrane proteins for structural studies.