Membrane Proteins

Potassium Channels

Highly efficient ion channels that facilitate diffusion down a concentration gradient

OmpF

a 115 kDa non-specific bacterial porin that forms a homo-trimer with 16 antiparallel strands tilted by 45 degrees

Maltoporin

an 18-stranded substrate-specific bacterial porin featuring an hour-glass shaped pore constricted by 3 loops

Sphingolipids

a major component of neuronal membranes that are primarily located in the plasma membrane

Glycolipids

lipids exclusively found on the outside of the cell that are synthesized in the ER and Golgi

RCK

a Ca2+ sensing domain located on the cytoplasmic face of channels

Kyte-Doolittle Plots

a tool based on the hydrophobicity of amino acids used for the identification of membrane proteins and transmembrane domains

VDAC

a mitochondrial b-barrel protein that is encoded by the nuclear genome

Positive inside rule

a topological rule indicating that Arginine and Lysine are typically found on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane

Alpha-helical membrane proteins

integral proteins with hydrophobic transmembrane domains that are typically 19 to 24 residues long and possess aromatic residues at the bilayer surface

Beta-barrel proteins

stable architectures formed by an even number of anti-parallel b-strands featuring short periplasmic connections and long external loops