Chapter 4 Monoacylglycerols: The Workhorse Lipids for Crystallizing Membrane Proteins in Mesophases

Abstract

Publisher Summary The in meso method for crystallizing membrane proteins has been shown to work with an array of different protein types. The method involves reconstituting the target protein into the bilayer of a bicontinuous lipid mesophase followed by an induced phase separation brought on by the addition of a precipitant. A mechanism has been proposed for how in meso crystallogenesis happens at the molecular level, and the assorted and critical roles that hosting and additive lipids play highlight the need for a wider palette of molecular species to choose from. In support of this, a monoacylglycerol synthesis and purification program has been implemented, the details of which are outlined in this chapter. This chapter gives an overview of the proposed mechanism by which in meso crystallogenesis of membrane proteins comes about, and the focus of this chapter is on the lipid that forms the bicontinuous mesophase in which crystallization occurs and on the underlying lipid phase behavior that is central to the method. The chapter describes the roles played by lipid in meso crystallogenesis along with the synthesis and purification of the monoacylglycerol (MAG) lipids for use with the in meso method.