Eur. Phys. J. E (2016) 39: 127
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2016-16127-1

Regular Article

Electrophoretic mobility of a monotopic membrane protein inserted into the top of supported lipid bilayers

¹ Doctoral school for Science and Technology, platform for research in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology, Lebanese University, Campus Pierre Gemayel, BP 90239, Fanar-Metn, Lebanon
² Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, 13402, Marseille, France
³ Aix-Marseille Univ, CINaM-CNRS, UMR7325, 13288, Marseille, France

^* e-mail: tinland@cinam.univ-mrs.fr

Received: 22 July 2016
Accepted: 22 November 2016
Published online: 21 December 2016

Abstract

We have studied the translational migration of a monotopic membrane protein, the bacterial sulfide quinone reductase (SQR) in supported n-bilayers () under the influence of an electric field parallel to the membrane plane. The direction of the migration changes when the charge of the protein changes its sign. Measuring mobilities at different pH enables us to gain experimental physico-chemical data on SQR as its isoelectric point and its estimated oligomeric state (at least trimeric) when inserted in a lipid membrane. Consequently, in addition to the migration study of membrane proteins in a lipid environment, this experimental system, previously used with a transmembrane protein, is thus suitable to define membrane protein properties in conditions approaching the native ones (in the absence of detergent).