“Modeling the Dependence of the Thermal Stability of the Plasma Membrane Calcium Pump on the Micelle Composition”.

LEVI, V; ROSSI, JPFC; CASTELLO, P.R; GONZÁLEZ FLECHA, F.L

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS SERIES

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2000 p. 283 - 286

0531-5131

The methoduses a fluorescent phospholipid probe, which senses the competition among unlabeled amphiphiles for positions on the transmembranesurface of the protein. The contact between the probe and the protein surface is detected through resonance energytransfer. We have analyzed theoretically this process deriving a general equation for the dependence of the energy transfer efficiencyon the composition of the micelles/bilayers in which the protein is inserted. This equation includes an exchange constant for eachamphiphile, which gives a measure of its affinity for the protein with respect to that of an amphiphile set as the reference. We appliedthis method to determine the exchange constant of different phospholipids for the plasma membrane calcium pump.