Skip to Main Content
Skip Nav Destination

The tremendous progress in the structural biology of membrane proteins, built on a vast accumulation of experimental data and fueled by an exponential increase in the number of high resolution structures, provides a base for advances using cutting-edge biophysical and computational tools. Membrane proteins must be considered in the context of their lipid environment, which provides fluidity, lateral heterogeneity (allowing specialized microdomains), as well as variations normal to the bilayer. The low dielectric of the membrane interior drives the need for hydrogen-bonded secondary structures in transmembrane segments, resulting in two structural classes of integral membrane proteins: bundles of α-helices and β-barrels. Membrane proteins function as channels, transporters, enzymes, and receptors, and salient features of each are presented.

You do not currently have access to this chapter, but see below options to check access via your institution or sign in to purchase.
Don't already have an account? Register
Close Modal

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal