Membrane Proteins Structure and Dynamics

Dear Colleagues,

Cellular homeostasis requires maintaining a closely controlled environment that is optimal for function and, therefore, cells are surrounded by a hydrophobic barrier comprised of tail-to-tail lipidic bilayers with hydrophilic head groups facing the intra- and extracellular surroundings. Biological communication with the environment is mediated by membrane-associated proteins (MPs), responsible for a range of important cellular processes, including signaling, recognition, and transport of ions and nutrients. MPs are unique in that, being embedded in the membrane, the majority of their exposed surface is hydrophobic in nature, and they must be studied natively or transferred into a stabilizing membrane-mimicking assembly. The research community thus faces a conundrum in which this important class of proteins—comprising over 30% of all expressed proteins in the human genome and the target of 50% of all approved pharmaceuticals—is notoriously resistant to biochemical and biophysical investigations.

This state of affairs has prioritized research providing structural and/or mechanistic information on the biology of MPs and their interactions with biological and synthetic modulators of their function. This Special Issue “Membrane Protein Structure and Dynamics” will focus on studies employing a wide range of experimental methods to characterize the behavior of MPs, their interactions with the surrounding membrane and cellular and external stimuli, as well as methodological approaches aimed at improving our ability to investigate MPs. Original manuscripts addressing these themes are most welcome.

Prof. Dr. Jordan Chill
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• membrane protein
• surrogate membrane
• membrane–protein–ligand interactions
• membrane dynamics
• protein structure and function