Question

Unlike soluble, cytosolic proteins, membrane proteins are more difficult to purify. Which of the following substances is most commonly used to help purify a membrane protein?

1) Detergents
2) Enzymes
3) Antibiotics
4) Buffers

Answer 1

1) Detergents are commonly used to purify membrane proteins as they can solubilize them from the lipid bilayer while maintaining their structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

Membrane proteins are crucial components that serve various functions in the cellular membrane, such as facilitating the movement of substances across the membrane and serving as enzymes or signal transducers. However, their amphipathic nature, having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, makes them more challenging to purify compared to soluble, cytosolic proteins. The most commonly used substance to help purify a membrane protein is detergents. Detergents are amphipathic molecules that can solubilize membrane proteins by embedding into the lipid bilayer and surrounding the hydrophobic regions of the proteins, effectively isolating them while preserving their structure and function.