Affiliations: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA | Biomedical Engineering and Physical Science Shared Resource, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Inna Gorshkova, Biomedical Engineering and Physical Science Shared Resource, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, NIH, 13 South Drive, Rm. 3N17, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Tel.: +1 301 402 2955; Fax: +1 301 496 6608; E-mail: gorshkoi@helix.nih.gov
Abstract: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are integral membrane proteins that transmit signals from external stimuli to the cell interior via activation of GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) thereby mediating key sensorial, hormonal, metabolic, immunological and neurotransmission processes. Elucidating their structure and mechanism of interaction with extracellular and intracellular binding partners is of fundamental importance and highly relevant to rational design of new effective drugs. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has become a method of choice for studying biomolecular interactions at interfaces because measurements take place in real-time and do not require labeling of any of the interactants. However, due to the particular challenges imposed by the high hydrophobicity of membrane proteins and the great diversity of receptor-stimulating ligands, the application of this technique to characterize interactions of GPCR is still in the developmental phase. Here we give an overview of the principle of SPR and analyze current approaches for the preparation of the sensor chip surface, capture and stabilization of GPCR, and experimental design to characterize their interaction with ligands, G proteins and specific antibodies.
Keywords: Surface plasmon resonance, G protein-coupled receptors
