santonic@che.udel.edu

Laurea (M.S.) Chemical Engineering, 1999    University of Salerno, Italy

Self-assembly and interactions in membrane protein-surfactant solutions

Knowledge of the structure and functionality of membrane proteins is extremely limited because these proteins are unstable outside lipid membranes and they are difficult to crystallize. The goal of this project is to understand the role of surfactant on the stability of solubilized membrane proteins, and how the solution microstructure promotes their crystallization. We use scattering and sedimentation techniques to study the stability of the solubilized membrane proteins in relation to the properties of the surfactant layer bound to them. With phase behavior studies and scattering methods, we investigate solutions of nonionic surfactants, specifically alkyl polyglucosides, with additives commonly used to induce membrane protein crystallization, like polyethylene glycol and more hydrophobic surfactants. Results are useful to define a strategy for optimal solubilization of membrane proteins and for the rational control of their interactions in solution.