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From the Contents: Membrane proteins: functions, structures, environments.- Taking membrane proteins out of their natural environment.- Alternatives to detergents for handling membrane proteins in aqueous solutions.- Chemical structure and physical-chemical properties of amphipols.

<p>Jean-Luc Popot, born 1948, studied biology, chemistry, and biophysics in Orléans and Orsay. In 1971, he took a permanent position with the Collège de France. In J.‑P. Changeux’s laboratory, at the Pasteur Institute, he applied electrophysiology and biophysical and biochemical approaches to functional and structural studies of the nicotinic acetyl­cho­li­ne receptor. In 1982, he joined D.M. Engelman at Yale University as a visiting scientist. His work at Yale, which bore princi­pal­ly on refolding bacterio­rhod­opsin from dena­tu­red fragments and studying the refolded structure crystallographically, led the two of them to propose, in 1990, an influential model for the folding of&nbsp;α‑helical membrane proteins. In 1985, he joined the laboratory of P. Joliot at the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (Paris). His group car­ried out neutron diffraction and model building work on bacterio­rhod­opsin and bio­che­mical studies on Photo­sys­tem&nbsp;II and cytochrome <i>b</i>_6&nbsp;<i>f</i>. In 1996, he became Research Director at the Centre National de la Recher­­che Scienti­fi­que and created his own laboratory, where the X‑ray struc­tu­re of the <i>b</i>_6&nbsp;<i>f</i> was solved in 2003. In parallel, he pursued the development of sequence analysis approa­ches and, in collabo­ra­tion with chemists and physical chemists, designed and validated non-conventional surfact­ants aimed at facilitating membrane protein solu­tion studies, most notably amphi­­pathic polymers (‘amphipols’) and fluorinated surfactants. He retired in 2013 and, along with his wife, splits his time between restoring an old house in Languedoc, reading, writing, hiking, photographing, cooking, and enjoying the company of kith and kin.</p>

<div><div>Membrane proteins represent about one third of the proteins encoded in a cell's genome, and, because of their key physiological roles, more than half of drug targets. Detergents are traditionally used to extract proteins from membranes in order to make them amenable to the tools of biochemistry and biophysics. However, detergent-solubilized proteins are generally unstable. This has led to the development of alternative, non-conventional surfactants, such as bicelles, nanodiscs, amphipathic peptides, fluorinated surfactants, and specially designed amphipathic polymers called 'amphipols'. These novel tools, mainly developed over the past 20 years, are revolutionizing handling membrane proteins&nbsp;<i>in vitro</i>&nbsp;for basic and applied research, as well as for such biomedical applications as drug screening or vaccination.</div><div><br></div><div>This book, written by a specialist of membrane proteins and one of the creators of amphipols, describes the properties and usesof these novel molecules. It opens with general introductions on membrane proteins and their natural environment, detergents, the current status of membrane protein&nbsp;<i>in vitro</i>&nbsp;studies, a broad panorama of non-conventional surfactants and a discussion of their respective advantages and limitations, and the preparation and properties of amphipols and membrane protein/amphipol complexes. Topical chapters cover&nbsp;<i>in vitro</i>&nbsp;folding, cell-free synthesis and stabilization of membrane proteins, and such biophysical and biochemical applications as electron microscopy, Xray diffraction, NMR, optical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, the whole range of solutions studies, proteomics, and such practical applications as membrane protein immobilization and drug screening and the use of amphipols&nbsp;<i>in vivo</i>&nbsp;for vaccination and drug delivery. Each topical chapter is introduced with a concise, up-to-date overview of how membrane proteins are currently studied using each individual technique, before offering an exhaustive coverage and in-depth discussion of the contribution of amphipols, and concluding with hands-on protocols written by everyday practitioners of each application.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to a comprehensive coverage of the properties and uses of non-conventional surfactants, this book therefore also offers a concise, accessible introduction to membrane protein biochemistry and biophysics. It is meant to be used both in basic and applied research laboratories and as a teaching help.</div></div>

First book dedicated to the art of handling membrane proteins in aqueous solutions Includes a Foreword by Donald M. Engelman and over 30 cartoons created by Francis Haraux Includes over 400 richly illustrated figures and topical tables as well as twelve detailed, experimental protocols

<div><p>“Jean-Luc Popot writes with the natural authority that comes from a long career as a pioneer in membrane protein biophysics. His prose has the exact and wry elegance of a true scholar and a flow, stringency and clarity that people will recognize from his conference lectures. He is a true exponent of the classical French academic tradition for establishing fundamental underlying principles. The wonderful and subtly informative cartoons by Francis Haraux, which complement the judiciously chosen scientific figures, make a perfect companion to this unfolding story. The main topic of the book is the use of amphipols to advance our understanding of membrane proteins; this remarkable group of molecules is a true brain child of Dr. Popot and it is in large part his efforts which are responsible for their introduction into the mainstay of membrane protein science. This is undoubtedly the best overview of their properties and it is a true privilege for the reader to have access to a monograph (an increasingly rare phenomenon) with such unity of purpose and direction. Many instructive hours of reading are guaranteed!” (Daniel E. Otzen, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark)</p>

<p>“This book is fully written by a single author, Jean-Luc Popot, a pioneer in the field of membrane protein biophysics who contributed seminal work that illuminates how membrane proteins fold and who spent a career exploring how they can best be handled.&nbsp; In the latter area, his signature accomplishment was to lead the development and painstaking characterization of amphipathic polymers—amphipols—for use as a membrane mimetic medium.&nbsp;&nbsp;While this work presents a definitive account of the properties and applications of amphipols, it also includes several introductory chapters that lay out both the science and history of working with membrane proteins. It represents a formidable work of scholarship, with all chapters being accompanied by an engaging series of cartoons by Francis Haraux.&nbsp; At the same time, it is packed with useful practical information on membrane proteins and model membranes.&nbsp;&nbsp; A classic work.” (Charles R. Sanders, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, USA)</p></div>“This most valuable book covers biophysical chemistry of membrane proteins,from progress in conceptual understanding of molecular structure and mechanisms to comprehensive overview of traditional and novel experimental methods. Must-have for every laboratory interested in membrane proteins.” (Ilia Denisov, The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA)<p>“The book on membrane proteins by Popot provides a wonderful, comprehensive overview alongside very detailed insights into the behaviour and properties of membrane proteins once they have been extracted from their normal membrane environment.&nbsp; It is a "must-read" for all practical experimentalists working on membrane protein structure and function.” (Richard Henderson, University of Cambridge, UK)</p>

“This important work by Popot provides a timely and comprehensive communication regarding membrane proteins, which constitute a majority of targets for therapeutic intervention.&nbsp; Well referenced and with an unusual ability to communicate complex phenomena in a clear and concise manner, this book should be on the shelf of all biochemists, pharmacologists, chemists and biologists.” (Stephen Sligar, The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA)<p></p>

<p>“The foundation of successful membrane protein biochemistry and structural biology is an in-depth understanding of detergents and surfactants. Chapter 2 gives an essential introduction into their biophysical characteristics and biochemical uses. The chapter gives the rationale to crucial observations in membrane protein purification, such as why adding too much or too little detergent can be a very bad thing and why using the right detergent at the correct concentration is critical for purification of membrane proteins in a functional state. I thoroughly recommend this chapter as essential reading for anyone embarking into the challenging world of membrane protein purification.” (Christopher G. Tate, University of Cambridge, UK)</p>