Binding proteins interactions with integral membrane

Protein 4.1, a globular protein, binds tightly to the tail end of spectrin, near the actin-binding site of the latter, and thus is part of a protein 4.1-spectrin-actin ternary complex. Protein 4.1 also binds to the integral proteins, glycophorins A and C, thereby attaching the ternary complex to the membrane. In addition, protein 4.1 may interact with certain membrane phospholipids, thus connecting the lipid bilayer to the cytoskeleton. 

Figure 12.17. Integral and Peripheral Membrane Proteins. Integral membrane proteins (a, b, and c) interact extensively with the hydrocarbon region of the bilayer. Nearly all known integral membrane proteins traverse the lipid bilayer. Peripheral membrane proteins d and e) bind to the surfaces of integral proteins. Some peripheral membrane proteins interact with the polar head groups of the lipids (not shown).

After synthesis In the cytosol, the soluble precursors of mitochondrial proteins (Including hydrophobic Integral membrane proteins) interact directly with the mitochondrial membrane. In general, only unfolded proteins can be imported Into the mitochondrion. Chaperone proteins such as cytosolic Hsc70 keep nascent and newly made proteins in an unfolded state, so that they can be taken up by mitochondria. Import of an unfolded mitochondrial precursor is initiated by the binding of a mitochondrial targeting sequence to an import receptor in the outer mitochondrial membrane. These receptors were first identified by experiments in which antibodies to specific proteins of the outer mitochondrial membrane were shown to inhibit protein import into... 

Receptor molecules are neither isolated nor fixed in one location of the plasma membrane. In some cases, other integral membrane proteins interact with the receptor to modulate its activity. Some types of receptors cluster together in the membrane after binding hormone. Finally, as elaborated in the following sections, interaction of the hormone-bound receptor with other membrane or cytoplasmic proteins is the key to generation of second messengers and transduction of the hormonal signal. 

The fluidity of lipid bilayers permits dynamic interactions among membrane proteins. For example, the interactions of a neurotransmitter or hormone with its receptor can dissociate a transducer protein, which in turn will diffuse to interact with other effector proteins (Ch. 19). A given effector protein, such as adenylyl cyclase, may respond differently to different receptors because of mediation by different transducers. These dynamic interactions require rapid protein diffusion within the plane of the membrane bilayer. Receptor occupation can initiate extensive redistribution of membrane proteins, as exemplified by the clustering of membrane antigens consequent to binding bivalent antibodies [8]. In contrast to these examples of lateral mobility, the surface distribution of integral membrane proteins can be fixed by interactions with other proteins. Membranes may also be partitioned into local spatial domains consisting of networks... 

Peptides may bind to a membrane either by association to its surface or by insertion into its interior. The latter class comprises the integral membrane proteins whose structures are largely a-helical or / -barrel type (see Chap. 12 in Ref. [32]). The topology of interaction of helices with membranes is displayed in Fig. 5.1. 

This interaction with liposomes results in destabilization and fusion (126-128). Following membrane binding of the SPB protein, there is a loss of vesicular contents in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a loss of vesicular integrity (129-132). 

Odorants are thought to bind to integral membrane receptors on the cilia of the olfactory sensory neurons. The receptors are thought to he specific different olfactory neuron types recognize different odorants that share certain characteristics (Buck, 1993). The odorant receptors transduce signals via interactions with G-proteins (so-called because guanosine trisphosphate is involved in their activation). These G-protein-coupled exhibit seven hydrophobic domains (Fig. 5.6). Variation in the amino acid sequence of the transmembrane domain may account for specificity and selectivity of odor reception. 

---