Rapid Report Bolaamphiphile-Class Surfactants Can Stabilize and Support the Function of Solubilized Integral Membrane Proteins.

Bolaamphiphile-class surfactants composed of two hydrophilic (maltoside) headgroups connected by long saturated alkyl chains were tested for their ability to stabilize a solubilized membrane protein, Escherichia co/i diacylglycerol kinase (DAGK), and to sustain its native function. Members of this "Bis-MALT-C18-28" series were poor solubilizers of DAGK in the absence of conventional detergent. However, mixed micelles of the bolaamphiphiles with either dodecylphosphocholine or -n-decyl maltoside were more effective and enhanced DAGK's thermal stability relative to corresponding detergent-only conditions. Moreover, certain bolaamphiphiles were seen to be lipid-like by providing partial activation of DAGK's catalytic activity. Finally, addition of bolaamphiphiles to miceilar NMR samples of DAGK did not result in a degradation of spectral quality, indicating their compatibility with high-resolution structural studies. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first documentation of the potential of bolaamphiphile-class surfactants for use in biochemical and biophysical studies of MPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]