Micelle based Membrane Protein Solubilization Service

One of the hallmarks of membrane proteins is their hydrophobic transmembrane domains. To keep membrane proteins homogeneously dispersed in aqueous solutions with their native functions intact, it is almost inevitable to apply micelles, cell membrane-like lipid bilayer systems, or polymers to solubilize and stabilize them. Detergent is a common strategy for membrane protein solubilization, which generally leads to the formation of spherical micelles. To achieve the extraction of different membrane proteins with varying properties, detergents screening has been utilized to find a suitable detergent for each specific case. Selection of appropriate detergent is very crucial as misuse of detergent might compromise protein structure, resulting in denatured proteins.

Membrane Protein Solubilization in Micelles

Screening for detergent or micelle-forming lipid to construct micelles solubilizing a membrane protein can be quite a labor- and capital-intensive task. Each detergent or micelle-forming lipid may have very different stabilizing or destabilizing effects on a membrane protein. In most cases, different micelles need to be used for membrane protein extraction from different sources, as well as for different applications. With rich experience in this area and a series of detergents and lipids available, Creative Biolabs has built comprehensive detergent screening platform and lipid screening platform to find the best micelles for our customers' specific membrane protein targets with high purity, stability, and yield.

Membrane Protein Solubilization in Micelles (Creative Biolabs)

Advantages of Membrane Protein Solubilization in Micelles

Micellar solutions are very fluidic and can solubilize membrane proteins at the fastest rate.
Micelles can efficiently extract membrane proteins from cell membranes fractions, cell membrane-like lipid bilayers, inclusion bodies, and other types of micelles.
Folding of membrane proteins, binding/association between membrane proteins, and catalysis by membrane enzymes in micelles can be faster than in cell membrane-like lipid bilayers.
Micelles have a much smaller size than cell membrane-like lipid bilayer systems, thus very suitable for many characterization assays, like solution-state NMR.
A large variety of surfactants (detergents and short-chain lipids) and surfactant mixtures can be selected to form micelles.
Membrane proteins solubilized in micelles can be easily purified in similar ways to water-soluble proteins.

Applications of Membrane Protein Solubilization in Micelles

X-ray Protein crystallization
Solution-state NMR
Enzyme kinetics
Protein engineering and mutagenesis studies
Drug screening
Drug target discovery
Diagnostic application

Working on membrane proteins can be very time-consuming. Creative Biolabs is always ready to help you save your valuable time through our first-class membrane protein synthesis, reconstitution, purification, and characterization services. As an alternative to the micelle system, we also offer services in solubilization/reconstitution of membrane proteins in liposomes, nanodiscs, and amphipols. Please do not hesitate to inquire us for more information.

All listed services and products are For Research Use Only. Do Not use in any diagnostic or therapeutic applications.

Online Inquiry

	USA: Europe: Germany:
	Call us at: USA: UK: Germany:
	Fax:
	Email: