Topogenesis of membrane proteins
Topogenesis of membrane proteins refers to the process that transmembrane domains are inserted into the lipid bilayer while soluble domains properly localize and fold in either side of the membrane during their biogenesis. This process requires spatiotemporal coordination of folding of soluble domains with membrane insertion of transmembrane domains.
While the text book view illustrates that flanking charged residues of the first transmembrane domain of the membrane protein dictates its orientation relative to the membrane, accumulating data suggest that membrane insertion and folding of soluble domains are more intricate and complex than currently understood. We investigate the components that mediate these processes and analyze sequence characteristics of polypeptides that contribute in topogenesis of membrane proteins.