Spin Labeling Studies of Transmembrane Signaling and Transport: Applications to Phototaxis, ABC Transporters and Symporters

Abstract

Membrane proteins still represent a major challenge for structural biologists. This chapter will focus on the application of continuous wave and pulsed EPR spectroscopy on spin-labeled membrane proteins. Site-directed spin labeling EPR spectroscopy has evolved as a powerful tool to study the structure and dynamics of proteins, especially membrane proteins, as this method works largely independently of the size and complexity of the biological system under investigation. This chapter describes applications of this technique to three different systems: the archaeal photoreceptor/-transducer complex SRII/HtrII as an example for transmembrane signaling and two transport systems, the histidine ATP-binding cassette transporter HisQMP, and the sodium-proline symporter PutP.