Question

11-23 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?
(a) high salt solution
(b) sucrose
(c) detergent
(d) ethanol

Answer 1

Detergents are the most commonly used substances to purify membrane proteins, as they can solubilize the hydrophobic regions and liberate the protein from the lipid bilayer for further purification.

Step-by-step explanation:

The substance most commonly used to help purify a membrane protein is a detergent. Membrane proteins are embedded in the lipid bilayer, which makes them difficult to isolate due to their hydrophobic interactions. Detergents are amphipathic molecules which can solubilize membrane proteins by surrounding their hydrophobic regions, allowing them to be released from the membrane. Once solubilized, these proteins can be purified through various biochemical techniques. This is essential for studying their structure and function without disrupting the protein's integrity.