Question

You treat cells with the ionic detergent sodium dodecyl-sulfate (SDS) to disrupt the membrane. Will integral membrane proteins be affected by this treatment and how?

Answer 1

Yes. the Integral membrane will be affected.

Step-by-step explanation:

Generally, Ionic detergents have hydrophilic head group which can be either negatively charged or positively charged. If treated with plasma membrane, it masks the native charge of the protein, colonizing the entire charges of the protein, converting the overall charge to its own.

To be specific SSD is anionic. It therefore adds overall negative charge(anion) to the entire protein charges, even if they have isoelectric points. ''just like the HIV-RNA genome which undergo retro-transcription of the entire human DNA genome to its own HIV- genome of the infected host!''.

This disrupts the hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions and other non-covalent bonds of protein , thus the 3-Dimensional protein structure of tertiary protein and therefore of the integral membrane proteins . Denaturation of protein structure, and therefore the conformation protein function results.With resulting separation of the protein molecules based on their sizes.